The Most Horrible Creatures
by KaibaGirl007
Summary: ...You Could Ever Possibly Imagine" - The Torchwood team discover a spacecraft that has slipped through the Rift. Onboard are the crew of Serenity, two of whom aren't too thrilled to see Jack, but that's the least of his problems....
1. Chapter 1

**Set after series two for Torchwood time frame and after Serenity for Firefly time frame.**

**I own no right's 'cause I'm poor :P  
**

**Chapter One**

It was extremely dark during the late twilight hours of the night as Gwen lay on her back staring up at the ceiling, in bed and unable to sleep. Usually she was thankful for the quiet spells that the Rift gave every now and then as it meant that she got to spend more quality time with her husband. But right now she longed to be back at work; hunting Weevils, typing up case reports, drinking coffee, or even just clearing up pteranodon poop. Heck, she'd even referee a game of naked hide and seek if it meant she would be able to escape the snoring.

With a tired sigh she rolled onto her side and looked at the man she adored lying next to her. Rhys lay on his front, limbs hanging over the side of the bed, his bare behind exposed to the chill of the night air whilst the covers were pinned beneath him. His face was half buried in the pillow with an open drooling mouth emitting the thunderous noise. A warm smile crossed her face as she reached out to rub her husband's back, the action working like a volume remote as the snoring eased a little. He may not be every woman's dream come true, but he was definitely hers and all she needed. Almost. Nobody even came close to how much she loved him; except for one other man.

Gwen shook the thought from her head. She'd been married going on six months now and shouldn't be allowing past feelings for her boss to rise once more. By all rights she knew that she shouldn't have allowed those feelings to develop at all in the first place. Especially since…

Suddenly there was a bright flare of light from outside and the whole bedroom shook from the rumbling force that soon followed, indicating only one thing. The Rift was active. And judging by the strength of the aftershock it was most likely something on quite a large scale.

"Holy shit, what was that?!" The vigorous shaking had startled Rhys who now sat up looking around in a rather panicky but still heavily sleepy manner.

"It's nothing love." Gwen assured as she quickly pulled on the clothes that always remained on standby just in case of such instances. "Work call, you know how it is." She leaned over to kiss him and gently lay him back down in the bed. "Go back to sleep."

"Okay." The Welshman muttered as he stole another kiss before his wife pulled away from him. "But you tell _'Mr Happy'_ that next time you're needed urgently for work that he's to use the phone like any other normal person would." He gave a yawn as he made himself comfortable and placed his arms under the pillows. "No more earthquakes, he'll wake the whole of South Wales with doing things like that."

"I'll be sure to point that out." Gwen chuckled as she tried to contain her laughter from hearing the rambled sleep talk nonsense. She needn't have bothered replying to him though as he was already fast asleep and starting to snore again.

Full of bouncy eagerness, she left the flat, got into her car and drove her way towards the concealed Hub in the bay area of the city. Despite the fact that her work was not only hugely time demanding but also highly dangerous, she loved her job. To her there was only thing better than being part of the Torchwood team; the man leading them.

888888888888888888888888888

The Hub was finally returning back to its normal quietness after several pieces of equipment had fallen over during the Rift's tremor. A faint metal ding echoed in the vast space whilst the light hanging in the captain's office continued to sway slightly. Jack struggled to quickly climb out of the hole leading down to his bunk. A task that would have been so much easier if he hadn't had his trousers pulled only half way up his legs.

As he reached the top of the rope ladder and stepped onto the firm flooring of his workspace, he swiftly drew up the only item of clothing he currently wore. He fastened the zipper and buttons whilst speedily making his way out to the main information terminal in the Hub. Instantly the captain began to hammer on the keyboard as he scoured for details relating to the Rift's latest activity. "It's been a little while since the Earth moved like that!" He shouted over his shoulder and back towards his office. "Think it should happen more often?"

Ianto had been smart and dressed himself before climbing up out of the hole. The fact that his shirt was out of his trousers and tie hung askew round his neck were the only indications that he had been naked just a couple of moments ago when the Rift had ruptured.

"If you're referring to you and me; then most definitely." The Welshman smiled the kind of jaunty fixated smile that was reserved for the captain's eyes only. A light blue shirt draped over his right arm as he tucked his own shirt into his trousers and approached his lover. The smile vanished from his features leaving behind a blank expression. "But if you're talking about the Rift sending us more chaos to investigate and smooth over, not to mention a shit-load of paperwork to accompany it, then I have this to say; No. Effing. Way."

Jack chuckled at the response and took the shirt that was now being held out to him. He slipped it over his arms and began to button up the front.

"So what have we got?" Ianto asked straightening up his tie. Before the captain had chance to speak he'd already answered his own question as he stared at the monitor screen which displayed a skeletal framework image. "Ooo, spacecraft!" He began to frown. "Looks a little on the small side to have caused such a big entry vibration."

Resisting the urge to spurt out a humorous comeback, Jack bit down on his tongue. The world could be at risk from whatever was inside the ship, so the laughing and joking would have to be saved until later. "Short range shuttle craft. Twenty-fifth, possibly twenty-sixth century, most likely to have originated from a larger craft such as a 03 Firefly-class or……What?" He received a curious one-arched eyebrow look from the other man for having supplied the information with only a vague image to go by. "I _love_ my spaceships."

"Not as much as you love that other thing, I hope. Otherwise I really will have to start worrying about you."

"Nothing compares to your coffee Yan."

"I wasn't talking about the coffee." The Welshman rolled his eyes with an exasperated sigh.

Jack grinned mischievously as his hands found their way around his lover's hips to draw him closer. "How about we go check this thing out, and then after that you can show me _exactly_ what you meant?"

"You've got a pretty lousy memory if you need reminding of what happened just a short while ago."

The captain gave a casual shrug and tugged the Welshman closer still, so that their midsections were pressed up against each other. "It's just one of those things that I need to constantly be reminded about. Like peoples' Birthdays, replying to Archie's e-mails, and indicating when I'm driving."

A hand now gently guided Ianto's chin and the two men's lips met. "We've got work to do Jack." His words were mumbled in a breathless whisper as he pulled back from the kiss and fought against every urge in his body telling him to bow down to the seductive game being played.

"I know, but it's still gonna be a while before Gwen gets here." Jack's fingers fumbled at the knotted tie, loosened and eased it up over the younger man's head. "I'm sure we could do _something_ during that time." Their lips met again, rougher and firmer with the passion that they contained.

This time the Welshman broke and went straight for the buttons of the captain's shirt, beginning to undo them once more. Some days Ianto wondered why they even bothered to redress at all. More often than not, after their antics, this would happen. They'd rush about to discover what incident the Rift had chosen to throw their way, only for Jack to then tempt him back out of his clothes for a little while longer. And every single time that that happened, he would try his best to resist but end up giving in, so rewarding the other man like a spoilt child who always got want they wanted. Not that he minded much, as the captain was like an addiction; constantly craved for no matter how hard he tried to resist. Only sometimes he wished …

The mobile phone in Jack's pocket sounded and vibrated to break apart the two lovers before they had finished their tease and stripping of each other. Turning away from the Welshman he answered the call with an irritated tone to his speech. "Yes?"

"Only me." Gwen's voice came down the line. "Just wanted to ring ahead to make sure that you both were decent. I didn't want to walk in and find you two docking again."

"No chance of that now, since you kinda ruined the flow of the moment." He sighed heavily with disappointment. "How far away are you?"

"Not far. I should be down there within the next five minutes or so."

"No, don't bother coming down, we're on our way up."

"I hope that's not innuendo talk Jack. I know what your mind's like."

"Your mind must be pretty dirty too, to have thought about it like that '_Mrs Williams_'." The captain snickered and heard the line go dead as Gwen hung up. He loved winding her up, especially over the choice to keep her own surname and not that of the idiot she had married.

Gwen Williams. It didn't suit her; she would _always_ be Gwen Cooper.

Placing his mobile back into his pocket, Jack turned back around to find that his lover had disappeared. "Yan?"

"Over here." Ianto called as he stood in the doorway of the captain's office. In his hands he held the rest of the older man's clothing, - including the infamous greatcoat, - as well as a backpack full of equipment that might be needed for the investigation of the spacecraft. "One of us has to be organised." He gave a haughty smirk.

"What would I do without you?" Jack beamed and, as he saw the Welshman open his mouth to reply, he was quick to add; "You don't have to answer that, I was being rhetorical."

888888888888888888888888888

The spacecraft had crashed landed near a copse just outside of Pontypridd and was well hidden from view by all the surrounding shrubbery. In fact it was so well veiled that if it hadn't been for Gwen checking the location readout on their portable systems then Ianto would have drove the huge black reinforced vehicle straight by the spot.

"I'm picking up seven life forms onboard." She told the two men as she sat alone on the back seat of the SUV that was now coming to a standstill. "All of them appear to be human."

"Such a shame." Ianto spoke dryly as he turned off the engine. "I was really looking forward to dealing with some blood thirsty beings tonight."

"Just because they're human, it _does not_ mean that they aren't blood thirsty." Jack pointed out as he unbuckled his seatbelt. "They could be extremely hostile, or scared, - possibly both, - so I advise you two to stay alert at all times." He opened the door, stepped out and began to approach the smouldering wreck with his torch and gun drawn in front of him. The rest of his team followed his lead.

As they got closer to their target, the three of them fanned out in a triangle formation with the captain remaining centre upfront. The beams from their flashlights bounced off the metal exterior of the spaceship and revealed an arching doorway. Jack signalled for the other two to stop while he made a closer inspection and stepped right up to touch the craft's bodywork.

A soft hissing sound then started to commence as the door slowly began to open. No doubt that whoever was inside was now aware of their presence and was coming out to investigate. The captain took several steps backwards to allow the strangers room to alight, and lowered the Webley in his hand, just enough to help ease the intimidation factor but still ready to shot if need be.

When the door had fully opened there was no sign of anyone waiting in its hold to step out, and after having counted to ten in his head, giving the passengers plenty of time to show themselves, Jack decided that he would take it upon himself to investigate further. Pulling his weapon closer to his body, he took a step forward only to immediately draw it again as a man leapt out at him in response to his actions. He now found himself staring down the barrel of a gun as he stood off against the stranger, both of them at arms length, aiming their weapons at each other and ready to shoot at any moment.

The man that had emerged from the spacecraft was wearing a long battered and worn brown coat, looking very much like he had stepped out of a Western. Even his weapon had the same feel about it, but of course this guy was from sometime in the future not the past. Fallow hair hung in curtains at the top of the overall handsome face, - so Jack had decided, though not as handsome as his, - with narrowed brows and a firm jawbone that displayed an inquisitive, narked expression.

"Mal?!" The captain exclaimed in surprise and lowered the Webley. "Malcolm Reynolds?"

"Jack?" The stranger shared the same stunned expression which was only short lived. "Hao jiu bu jian!" He sheered before swiftly altering the grip on his gun and then struck the other man hard across the face with the weapon's butt.

The force of the strike sent Jack toppling to the ground, where he remained to nurse his bruising face, whilst listening to the sound of clicking coming from Gwen and Ianto's guns as they locked onto his attacker.

At hearing the noises which told him he would be shot if he made another move like that, Mal slowly released his grip on his bronze .38 calibre weapon and it fell to the floor with a thump. He raised his hands in a surrendering manner, and looked at the man and the woman with a wide eyed jeering expression. "What?"

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

**A/N: Okay here's the first chapter and I have a second chapter done also, but that's all for the moment as I'm currently working on several other fics.**

**So would anyone be interested in seeing this continued further?**

**KG**


	2. Chapter 2

**Well I'm guessing that by the reviews left, being added to alert lists and all the hits the first part received, that this fic is worth continuing so here's the next part :)**

**Chapter Two**

"Are you alright Jack?" Gwen called down to her boss, not letting her gaze and weapon release their lock from the narked looking stranger.

"I've had better days." The captain groaned in reply and spat out a mouthful of blood along with several shards of bone that had once been part of his set of magnificent glistening teeth. There'd be no Cheshire cat smiling from him until they had re-grown in his gums. "And it's great to see you too _Mal_." He said looking up at the loathing glare staring down at him.

There was no reply from the newcomer who just continued to stare hatefully, fists clenched in anger as he restrained himself from striking out again. He loved a good old fashioned brawl but knew that it was simply out of the question with not one but two guns pointing his way.

"Another one of your exes I take it?" Ianto asked incredulously. Like his colleague, his attention also remained focused on the foreigner.

"Ex?!" Both of the disputing men exclaimed in equally horrified manners.

"Look at him Yan; does he look like my type?!"

"Since when did you become so _picky_?" A cold female voice answered Jack's question as a woman carrying a gun, - similar to that which he'd stared down the barrel of just a moment ago, - emerged in the open doorway. Her skin was almost as dark as her long curled hair that was tied up high on the back of her head, and her face showed a similar detestable look as Mal's did. She casually raised the weapon and took aim at Ianto, trying to intimidate him into lowering his, but failed to get the desired reaction.

"Zoë Alleyne." Jack failed to stop the smile from tugging at his lips, revealing several jagged pearly-white teeth that were smeared with blood. She was _definitely_ his type, and had been on more than one occasion.

"Washburne." She corrected.

"You got married?!" Why did that surprise him so much? A tall rugged looking man with dark short cut hair and beard appeared beside her, raising the huge automatic gun he held so that it fixed on Gwen who instantly diverted her aim back towards her intimidator. Jack couldn't help but ask; "Is this your other half? You could have done heaps better."

"I ain't her gorram husband!" The man snorted with disgust at the assumption. "Wash is dead."

"He didn't need to know that Jayne." Mal scold sardonically.

"Jayne?" Jack chuckled as he stood himself up, retrieving both of the grounded firearms as he did so and placed his Webley back in its holster. "Isn't that a girl's name?"

"Bizui!"

Another outraged cry from Jayne made Jack chuckle again. He handed the other weapon back to its rightful owner, who also placed it back at his waist. There may have been ill feelings between the two of them, but neither intended to seriously harm the other. At least that was the way he felt, though knew Mal was most likely, - and well within his rights, - to feel otherwise. His view turned to Zoë. He didn't know the woman beyond the acts that they had once indulged in together, but still felt that the offering of condolences was needed as he knew the kind of sorrow that was brought from experiencing the tragic loss of a lover.

"If you so much as bat an eyelid at me; I'll blast your manhood to a bloody pulp." She hissed threateningly as she saw the captain's mouth open, mistakenly thinking that he intended to flirt with her like he had done during his original introduction to her all those years ago.

"Ouch!" All four men murmured in a unison response to the warning. The cold and bitterness displayed from the grieving woman was more than enough to make Jack abandon his good intentions.

"Will someone please explain what the _hell_ is going on?!" Gwen exclaimed in frustration as she still remained in the standoff with Jayne. It was pretty clear that Jack knew, - at least two of, - the people from inside the spaceship that had fallen through the Rift, but other then that she was feeling left in the dark; just like always when it came down to her boss' mysterious past.

"They don't know what you did, do they?" Mal sneered at Jack who shifted slightly as he stared back with a challenging look. "Call them both off and I'll do the same. We're not here to cause trouble."

Knowing that a part of his past was about to be revealed any moment now, and not being able to do a thing to halt it, the captain had no choice but to call off his team. "Stand down you two." He reluctantly ordered them both and watched as Gwen placed her gun back onto her belt, Ianto choosing to remain holding his, arm idly hanging by his side.

There was a satisfied nod of approval and the two newcomers in the spacecraft's doorway were ordered to place their weapons away too. "Put Vera down Jayne. Zoë …"

"Already ahead of you." She had returned her firearm to its holster upon seeing the other side's weapons obediently lowered without question. Glancing sideways she saw the huge automatic also withdrawing aim.

"Good." Mal nodded. "Now that we're all feeling a little more relaxed, I'll start the story shall I? Or would you like to tell it?" He continued to receive the cold frosty glare from Jack. "I'm dying to know how you justify what you did." There was still no response. "Look's like it's down to me then …

"Planet Hera, June 2511; 'The Battle of Serenity Valley'." The tale began with the location and time period of when the two of them had first met, wrongly assuming that the man and woman accompanying the betrayer were aware of the war that had taken place which he had fought in. "After five weeks of bloody combat the Alliance gained its victory by sky bombing the battle field into submission, and by that time over half the men fighting there had lost their lives, most were casualties on my side.

"But even though they had won, the Alliance still merciless killed those of us who opposed them, left behind and stranded, leaving us no choice but to carry on fighting as we had no way of retreating to safety. And that's when this guy stepped in." He sent a hateful glance Jack's way. "Said he could provide me with a shuttle and safe passage off world for my men. For a price of course. A price that was far too steep but knew that it would almost certainly be paid, as I was desperate to save the men I had left. After I managed to lower his original asking price…"

"_Who_ managed to lower his price?" Zoë interrupted. She wasn't, - nor Mal for that matter, - proud of the way that she had offered herself as a haggling tool, but it had swayed the stranger to cut his demands by half. A small price to pay for the chance at saving close to a thousand lives. "It was me who slept with him to reach that discount."

Jayne looked at the calm and collected woman with a slightly puzzled expression on his face. "You've given yourself to this _Hun-dan_, claim to have no interest in our courageous captain and settled for Wash?" He gave an over exaggerated shrug and sigh. "The guy must have been doing something right to keep a woman like you."

Although the loudly spoken thought from her crewmate had only been intended as an innocent humorous remark, it still struck a nerve within Zoë. But of course this would not be shown as anything more than a disapproving glare as she continued to silently struggle to come to terms with her husband's death. The sudden and unexpected end which he had met after landing their spaceship, fleeing from the most horrible creatures you could ever possibly imagine, dying somewhat a hero and sadly missed by all of them.

"Is it true Jack?" Ianto asked nervously. "What's been said so far?"

"One hundred percent." The confirmation was emotionlessly spoken as he dare not look at his team for fear of seeing resentment over what had been told up to this point, and there was still worse to be revealed.

War. Easy pickings where he knew his scams would work well. All he had to do was find the weakness of the desperate and exploit it to his advantage, and whatever would become of those he cheated was no concern of his. He wasn't proud of the cons that he had carried out once he had severed himself from the Time Agency, and even knew that if it hadn't been for meeting Rose and the Doctor then he would most likely still be continuing down that shameful path.

"You took _sex_, as payment for the safety of those desperately trying to return home to their loved ones?!" Gwen was disgusted with the man she had come to hold high respect for even though she knew he was no saint. "That's pretty low Jack, even for you."

"Part payment." Mal corrected. "There was still a large sum of credits to be paid to him also. When that was paid he screwed us over by high tailing it out of there, leaving me and my men to die!" Anger and rage had completely filled his voice as he made the facts of his loses known directly to the man who had swindled him. "We went into that battle with just over two thousand men. By the time you showed up, - six weeks after the first bomb killed those in higher ranks than me, - our numbers where half that. A week later, - three days after you left, - we were saved. Now tell me how many of my men made it out of there alive?"

There was a lump of anxiety building up at the back of Jack's throat as he tried, and appeared, to remain unnerved by the hatefulness displayed which was emphasised in the narrowed brow focused onto him.

"One hundred and fifty; that's how many. Zoë and I are the only ones to survive from my platoon; that's just two out of thirty men that I was originally in charge of." Mal calmly took a step closer towards the con artist, clenching his fist by his sides as he fought against the urge to strike out. "Everybody who died after you showed up could have been saved if you hadn't done what you did."

"What more can I say?" Jack shrugged, giving the impression that he didn't give a damn about what had happened back then. "I'm sorry."

The browncoat could contain his temper no longer as he witnessed the lack of remorse being shown and swung out his fist in anger. A warning shot was fired and the bullet narrowly missed not only him, but also his target, in a successful attempt to stop the attack. Both captains turned and stared at the shooter.

"He said he was sorry." The Welshman stated strongly as he still held his weapon in front of him.

"And you're expecting me to just accept that?!" Mal exclaimed in an almost hysterical manner.

"I'm not defending what he's done." Indeed Ianto was less than pleased to have discovered the scheme his lover had carried out. "But I suggest that you should reconsider the facts before pinning all of the blame on him." He received a gob smacked expression for his words and continued with his reasoning whilst lowering his gun. "Deaths are to be expected during wars. You and your men _must_ have been clearly aware of the dangers and possibility of not returning from the battles you entered. When placed in a situation like that it's no wonder people will do whatever they have to in order to survive. And he did just that."

The Welshman knew that it wasn't on the same scale in comparison, as Jack hadn't been in any _real_ danger with the ability to use the vortex manipulator and escape at his choosing. Had he also been immortal back then? But he must have had a reason for acquiring the money from those he conned, even if it was only to cover some kind of living expenditures. That could be seen as an art of survival in itself.

"The best, - though not necessary the most deserving of men, - came out on top." Even though he had sympathy for the other man's failed determination, similar to that he had felt for his girlfriend's survival, there was no trace of emotion in Ianto's voice as he spoke. "If you had been a better leader, and fought harder to protect those you were responsible for, then you wouldn't have fallen victim to his scam, and more of your men might have survived as a result."

Like a flash, Zoe reached for her gun and it landed with the Welshman directly in its range. "If you _ever_ draw your weapon, or speak like that, to my captain again, I _will_ shoot you." Her words were spoken with such certainty that nobody doubted the forewarning.

"Fighting amongst ourselves isn't going to get us anywhere." Gwen glanced around the people that were full of tension and anger, paying particular attention to the two who were willing to possibly kill, for their corresponding captain. She seriously hoped that she wouldn't have to witness a showdown between them both. "What happened back then happened, and nothing is going to change that fact." She now focused on the brown coated man. "Your ship has crashed on our planet, and we simply just want to help you."

Mal sent his two crew members a look; the kind that told them they had little option but to trust the strangers and cooperate with them. He stared at his second in command, appreciating her loyalty and alertness, as he gestured for her to place away the firearm once more. As she did so, his view fell back onto Jack and he grumbled his continuing dislike of the man. "Chou wang ba dan!"

"Language captain." A cheery voice giggled as a tomboy-ish looking adolescent woman appeared at the hatchway between the two crew already stood there.

"Kaylee!" He exclaimed joyfully at the sight of his mechanic. "Please tell me that you can get this shuttle pod moving again?"

"I'm afraid not, the engine's badly damaged and the controls are severely fried, not to mention that all my tools were left behind on Serenity." She sent him the kind of raised eyebrow look that suggested abandoning their beloved ship unprepared was a bad idea. But of course she knew that they had had no choice if they had wanted to escape from _them_. "Shuai." Her view had strayed to the man next to her captain, causing her to smile and received one right back.

"No Kaylee!" Mal warned finger pointing at her. "Bad Kaylee, don't even think about falling for this guy." He was given the 'as if' look from her, indicating that she only had eyes for the crew's young doctor.

"Somebody's jealous." A voice commented as a girl with long dark hair appeared and started to exit the spacecraft.

"Stay right there 'lil Albatross, there's no need for you to …" The browncoat captain deserted the rest of his command as the girl proceeded down on to the ground where the blades of grass poked up between her bare toes. He let out a defeated sigh. "Are you ever gonna listen and do as I say River?"

"River." Jack smiled nervously as the girl stood in front of him as she stared right up at his face with inquisitive eyes. "That's a pretty name."

"If your mind hasn't changed since I first met you, and you're thinking unspeakable thoughts about her, then you're going straight to special hell!" Mal hissed.

"Oh, he's already on his way to special hell." Ianto piped up wittily before clarifying, "But not because of thoughts towards young girls or boys, which, - just for the record, - he has none."

"Why can't I read you?" River asked with a puzzled expression as her head tilted to view the man from a different angle.

"Read him?" Gwen didn't like the sound of that. It sounded intrusive and as though the girl was expecting to magically know things about her captain that she still had yet to discover for herself.

"Gwen Cooper. Not Williams; Cooper. _Always_ Cooper." River spoke out to prove her point of 'reading' as she now looked in the woman's direction. "Married to Rhys. Your wedding day was a disaster in more ways than one." Her view changed towards the other man. "Ianto Jones…" She paused and then a sad smile appeared on her lips. "Poor Lisa."

"Okay, we get the point, you're psychic." Jack shot back at the girl, making sure that nothing more was revealed about either of his team-mates. Why couldn't she read him? He was thankful that that was the case because he had a whole load of knowledge that nobody else should be aware of.

"_Mal!_" Another voice, this time male, sounded from inside the shuttle.

"Simon?" He shouted back and swiftly stepped up to his craft to re-board, only narrowly avoiding bumping into the smart looking young man who now stood there with a concerned look on his face.

"She's slipped unconscious again."

"Aieeyah!" His eyes widened with apprehension for the woman's wellbeing, knowing that he had to get her some place to seek _better_ medical attention. The young doctor was more than capable of doing his job, but like the mechanic's tools the rest of the things that Simon needed also remained on board the ship Serenity. That only left him with one choice as he turned to the Torchwood team. "If you want to prove yourselves true of word, then help me save Inara."

8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

**A/N: Not sure when the next update will be as I have a couple of other fics to focus on first and then my attention will divert back to this. The story is already set out though and it was originally planned before the new crossover feature on this site, so the story will be more Torchwood based than Firefly as that's where I'd planned to post it.**

** Also, Firefly fans please don't go too hard on me if I get some things wrong as I'm still fairly new to that world which I have only recently discovered thanks to a good friend of mine.**

**KG  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**A big 'thank you' everyone who reviewed and added this fic to their lists :)**

** My apologies for the long delay in updating so here's a double length chapter to make up for it.**

**Chapter Three**

The voices were muffled and echoed slightly around her as Inara slowly came too in the medical bay of the Hub. She opened her eyes and silently continued to stare up at the bright light and off whitish colour of the ceiling above where she lay on her back. The two unseen men in the room with her were caught up in their discussion…

"… mostly. So primitive …"

"He did say that it was the twenty-first century, 'course I do have my doubts to that ba dan's truthfulness over the things he says."

"But then again there are things like this. Even I don't know what that is Mal, and I went to the all the best medical schools. It seems ahead of even our time so maybe…"

Everything was hazy in her mind as she tried to recall her last few moments of consciousness before the darkness that had first claimed her back onboard Serenity. There had been little or no warning, - she struggled to remember, - given to the vigorous flight manoeuvres made by the teenage pilot as the ship barrel rolled and zigzagged to escape their chasers. Her captain had made his fair share of foes in numerous conflicts over the years she had known him, so who had they been outrunning this time?

"You don't seriously believe him and that we dropped through a hole in space and time to end up here?! Come on Simon, I thought you were smart."

"Well then if _you've_ got all the answers, _you _explain how we ended up here!"

"Qu nide!"

There was only one group of people, - if that's what you could call them, - that Inara could think of where Malcolm Reynolds would ever allow such reckless behaviour from any member of his crew in order to make a much needed and swift escape. _Reavers!_ She sat bolt upright on the examination table as the fear gripped tightly at her heart from her last memory onboard the spaceship.

The bickering between the captain and doctor stopped as they both noticed the woman's sudden movement and like a flash Mal was by her side. "Shhh, shhh, it's okay." He took hold of her face with both hands and looked directly into the wide panicky stare. "We're safe now, I promise you, they can't touch us here."

Those reassuring words along with that sincere gaze from the man she wholly entrusted her life with was enough to calm her flustered state. Inara tried to nod in the firm clasp on her face but managed very little more than a faint jolt.

"Ni hao ma?" Her captain asked with his voice full of concern for her.

"My head is a little bit sore but I'm okay, thanks for asking." She smiled back hoping to brighten up the sombre look on the face staring back at her.

"The doc here says you've only got minor concussion, which if you ask me, considering the beating you got before we jumped ship, is a miracle in itself." Both hands released the hold they had on the woman's soft cheeks.

"We abandoned Serenity?" Inara asked puzzled as she knew how much the spaceship meant to Mal and that he wouldn't ever take to leaving her, even if his life was in danger.

"Yeah." There was a sharp and painful heartfelt gasp to leave the man's lips at the thought of his beloved vessel being left behind to be salvaged by their pursuers. He took a deep breath in and gave his explanation. "As hard as it is to admit, at the end of the day Serenity was only a ship. Just metal and bolts. She can be replaced, but my crew can not." One of his hands found hers and squeezed it tightly. "At times I may be stupid and reckless, but not to the point where I'd risk loosing you over something that can easily be replaced."

For a brief moment there was complete silence in the room as the two friends gazed at each other, both of them holding back feelings that ran deeper than they would ever allow to be revealed. The silence was soon broken as Simon enquired to the whereabouts of his sister. "Mal, where's River?" He'd been so involved with diagnosing the injured woman that his sibling had slipped his mind for a brief and rare moment.

"With Gwen." He replied releasing his hold and taking back his hand.

"Gwen?" Inara asked with another bewildered look on her face. "I think you've got some explaining to do."

"Oh goody!" Simon sniggered as he moved closer and then spoke to Inara himself. "I hope you're sitting comfortably to listen to what our captain has to say because this is going to be _so_ good."

An un-amused glare was sent the young doctor's way. The whole Rift speech, - which had been given to them during the SUV ride to the underground base, - was the only account of events that Mal had to go by at that moment in time, and he wasn't looking forward to proving the other man correct in that he didn't have a clue to how they had ended up where they had. "This may sound ridiculous, but we're on Earth…"

"Earth?" Inara asked extremely doubtfully to what she had been told.

"Twenty-first century Earth to be precise." Mal attempted to elaborate but was drowned out by the sound of poorly stifled laughter from his two crewmates. His head collapsed into his hands with exasperation as his mind grumbled to himself, _Wuode tain!_

888888888888888888888888888

Gwen struggled with the heavy reinforced steel door that sealed off the vaults from the main part of the Hub. It was very rarely used but her captain had insisted it be closed whilst their 'guests' remained there for the time being. He didn't want any of them spooked by Janet if any of them was to somehow wander off down into the holding cells.

Since Jack had driven her and the four newcomers back to the base, she had been entrusted with keeping River occupied whilst he returned to fetch Ianto and the three remaining crew. The girl may have seemed like the shy yet inquisitive type, but boy did she not think twice about roaming off in search of things to cure her curiosity. Luckily all the different varieties of foliage of the hothouse currently sufficed the interested nature of the youngest guest, so Gwen had no worries about leaving her alone for the short period of time whilst she locked the huge doorway.

"Okay I'm done with my task now, so how about I show you around the rest of … the… Hub...?" Gwen's words trailed as she searched the transparent glass room. "River?" She found no trace of the teenage girl and swiftly exited again to begin searching for possible areas were she might find her. "River? Come on sweetie, this isn't a game."

She descended the level and for a split second, contemplated entering the medical bay to admit to the girl's brother that she had lost track of her but then decided against it. _No, I can't do that! I'm supposed to be watching her! What would they say if they found out she evaded me? I can't admit it to them! But what if she's down there and they already know I wasn't keeping an eye on her? Then again why should I watch her? She's hardly a small child who needs constant supervision…!_

"Do you always shout in your thoughts?" River's voice asked calmly and caused the Welshwoman to spin on her toes to then face the kitchenette area.

Slowly Gwen approached the corner of the Hub where she had heard the voice originate from and saw the girl sat huddled with a book at the foot of the coffee machine. "You were in my head again?!" The psychic ability still continued to disturbed her.

"No, you were screaming so loud that you almost gave me a headache, just like you did back at the shuttle before I alighted." River casually shrugged and turned over the page of the book she was reading. "At least your voice drowns out the cry for help that rings through this place, so I guess that's something..."

"Where did you get that?" The woman's attention remained focused on the hardback book in the teenager's hands which looked suspiciously like her colleague's journal.

"It was in this crevice right here." She pointed to a gap towards the back of the huge gleaming stainless steel of the hot beverage maker. "Very well hidden, I only found it by accident." Another page turned. "It's quite a fascinating insight, though it has flaws with some of its references, and a lot of the time it's written in a language that I can't understand." The book was turned around to show the neatly scrawled Welsh handwriting. "Can you explain to me what this means, please?"

Gwen leant forwards and downwards to calmly take the diary from the girl's grasp. She then snapped it shut as she drew herself back into her upright position. "That belongs to my friend, and you shouldn't be reading any of it! Don't you know that it's rude to poke your nose into somebody else's personal affairs?"

"You sound just like them!" River pouted as she pulled her legs closer towards her body and rested her chin on her knees. Her eyes turned slightly distant as she continued with her complaint. "You don't know what it's like. To have your head messed with, for no explanation at all. To constantly crave to know things and exercise your intellect. To be the only one stood in a crowded room, hearing all the screaming and shouting of each individual, and yet nobody can hear your own…" She wiped away the moisture that was beginning to build up in her eyes.

_Typical angsty teenager. _Gwen thought as quietly as she possibly could to avoid being overheard through any kind of psychic connection from the girl. Somehow though she couldn't help but feel sorry for River. Just what had she been through in her life to make her feel the way she did?

The giant cog-like door of the Hub rolled to one side and in walked Jack accompanied by Ianto and the other three crew members of the Rift-stranded shuttle pod. "Hey Gwen!" He yelled out to her. "Wanna hear something amusing?"

"Jack, everything you say is amusing in one way or another." She smirked back at her captain who was having a hard time trying not to break out into fits of giggles. "Well whatever it is, it's certainly tickled your funny bone." More bouts of laughter from him left her with no other choice but to seek answers from the Welshman. "What's up with him?"

"Zoë made a comment about how 'beautiful' this planet looks so far…"

"When compared to some other places we've visited." The woman in question butted in her amendment.

"And what's so funny about that?" Gwen asked, clearly she was missing something somewhere. South Wales was as nice as place as any to make that conclusion.

"She happened to announce the fact whilst we were driving through Splott." Ianto added with a smirk as he mentioned the poorly reputable district of the city, which was slowly escaping from its bad name, but the thought of describing the area as 'beautiful' was still enough to send his lover over the edge into hilarity.

"Oh, you poor dear!" Gwen gasped with an up-curve of her lips as she spoke to the dark skinned woman. "Just wait until you see Splott during the daylight hours, you'll soon change your mind then."

"Still, it could have been worse." The Welshman added.

"How so?" Jack asked. His laughing had ceased and he wiped the tears from his eyes.

"We could have been driving through Ely at the time instead."

That was it, the captain was gone again as he cracked up with more laughter from hearing the younger man's deadpan tone. If there was one area of Cardiff that was to be avoided, left well alone and never, - under any circumstances, - be described as beautiful, it was the south-western district of the city.

"What's gorram wrong with them?" Jayne sneered to his two female crewmates as all three of them watched the Torchwood team show signs of mirth from the local knowledge joke.

"I'm not even going to pretend like I want to know." Zoë stated in a clearly un-amused tone.

Kaylee just smiled, which broadened each time that an uncontrollably high pitched giggle left the dashing captain's mouth.

It was only now that Ianto registered the journal held in his colleague's hand. His already faint chuckling disappeared completely. "Is that my diary?"

"Yes, yes it is." Gwen's laughing also stopped as she received an explanation demanding glare.

"What are you doing with it? Have you been reading…?"

"No! No, I haven't done anything of the sorts. I'm just holding it because…"

"I found it." River stood up to reveal herself from the spot on the floor beside the coffee machine which had been concealing her from the Welshman's view. "I picked it up and then I …"

"Handed it right to me." Gwen turned her head, so that Ianto couldn't see her face, and gave a quick wink to the teenager to let her know that she wasn't going to mention the scouring of the pages that had been made.

It seemed obvious to her now that River had learnt her lesson and was willing to come clean about reading the diary's contents. Anyway, the girl hadn't been able to read the really secretive stuff that had been written in Welsh, plus there was no way that she herself would question him on the 'Cariwch hancesi gyda chi drwy'r amser' paragraph that had been pointed out to her a few moments earlier, so was there really any point in making the author aware of it ever happening?

The hand still holding the book pointed downwards. "It was right there on the floor before River picked it up." She turned back to face him and handed the journal back over to her friend. "You should take better care of your possessions. It's not like you to be so sloppy, especially when it comes down to your dairy."

"Thank you." Ianto took back his journal just as his attention was being drawn to the sound of footsteps coming from across the way.

"Inara!" Kaylee's happy voice filled the Hub as she saw her and the two men emerge from the medical bay. She ran up to the woman and hugged her tightly. "I'm so glad you're okay, I thought…oh, never mind what I thought!"

The presence of the awoken woman also caught Jack's attention and his laughing stopped for several reasons. One, the joking around with the worst reputable areas of the city had had its moment and passed. Two, his sides were beginning to ache from all the spasms of hilarity. Three, the look he received from Mal was still very much hateful and which he doubted that would ever be likely to change. And four, he should be quick to introduce himself before the browncoat had a chance to badmouth him to her, _if_ he hadn't already done so.

"Captain Jack Harkness, welcome to twenty-first century Torchwood and the planet Earth." He held his hand out to shake but was completely ignored, an obvious sign that he had been too late to make the impression he was hoping for, but still he attempted to make conversation. "Your friend Jayne let it slip that you're a companion…?"

"Like you were to the Doctor?" Gwen asked her boss a little too eagerly.

"Oh, don't I only wish!" He was able to find the strength to chuckle despite the discomfort he felt in his torso. The wistfulness soon dissolved though once he caught his lover's gaze on him and then began to explain the woman's profession to both members of his team. "They're two completely different things. I merely travelled with the Doctor inside the TARDIS, were as Inara here… she um… she…" Why did he have to have a brain freeze right about now as he struggled, - and failed, - to find the right words that he needed? "She offers her services of body and mind to her high paying clients…"

"You mean she's a prostitute?" Gwen asked cynically with raised brows.

"Nooo!" Jack breathed out hoping that nothing was going to be said about his friend's ignorance on the matter which he hadn't described very well at all. "What I meant was… Well she's more like… Just give me a moment to find my tongue; I'm sure the word I'm looking for will catch up with me any second now."

"A courtesan?"

"Thank you Ianto, that's exactly what I was thinking of, a courtesan." There was a proud smile plastered across the captain's face at being rescued, - _again, twice in one day!_ - by the other man who could resolve just about anything through the use of words favouring over violence.

"Mutton dressed as lamb if you ask me." Gwen grumbled to herself clearly aware that her remark was being overheard by those stood close by.

The Welshman forced himself forward as a distraction from his friend's xenophobic remark that he knew had been purely created by the jealousy felt towards the exceedingly beautiful woman before them. "Hi. Ianto Jones." He held his hand up just like Jack had done a moment earlier and Inara did the same as she clasped and shook it in return. "It's a real pleasure meeting you ma'am…"

"Don't waste your breath trying to sweet talk your way into being approved for Inara's companionship 'cause she won't be offering her services to _any_ of you."

"I don't know about that Mal, I'm sure you'd allow me to break the rule about not taking on clients who are current or past business partners." She smiled at Ianto and then looked at her horrified friend beside her. "Just this once? I quite like this fine young gentleman; he has many of the qualities that I filter for when deciding on who to accept as a client."

"See what I mean Jack?" Gwen leant over to whisper in his ear. "_Mutton dressed as lamb._" He just gave an uneasily weak grin in return to the softly spoken words that still oozed with resentment.

Jealousy, - especially of the female variety, - was always a highly entertaining trait to observe, but right now Jack felt like he might also participate in some form or another. The fact that the companion seemed to be searching for a way to wriggle out of the limitations agreeably set in place, wasn't what had upset him as he knew that his lover would never wander no matter how much she might tempt to lure him away. What really fuelled him most was the fact that he'd been bypassed like he didn't exist as Inara had gone straight for the charm of Welshman instead. Out of the entirety of his life so far, he was very rarely overlooked and the battering that his vanity had just taken was enough to start an uncommon spark of personal dislike for the female.

"Oh!" The companion swayed slightly as she felt momentarily dizzy, no doubt an effect of the concussion Simon had diagnosed her with, and fought to maintain her balance, helped by both Ianto and Mal as they steadied her posture.

"She needs rest." Simon spoke to his captain and then turned to converse with the greatcoated man. "Do you have any place more comforting where Inara is able to rest without any disturbances?"

"No." Jack was firm with his reply and then indicated towards the threadbare settee where several empty take-away cartons from the meal he and the Welshman had shared earlier that evening lay scattered close by. "She'll just have to make do with the couch here."

Of course Torchwood had a number of safe-houses for any instances which they might have to accommodate people involved in their investigations and such, but that also meant more work for his already tired team. Their rest was more of a priority to the captain, especially over the woman who had, - kinda, - made a pass at his boyfriend. The newcomers, just like the paperwork, further journeys and possibly hours worth of explanations in numerous aspects relating to the timeframe they were living in, would all have to wait until a more suitable and convenient time during daylight hours.

"What about the Hub's living quarters?" Ianto suggested as he sensed the avoidance of further workloads. "Surely they'd do for the time being?"

"This place has living quarters?" It was the first that Gwen had heard about them.

"Built by the Victorians in the very upper levels but not used since the 1950s." Jack explained briefly. "They'd be in no fit state for use now. Too dark, dank and dreary…" His words trailed off as he eyed his lover suspiciously. "You've already cleaned them up at some point haven't you?"

"Of course. There's only so many times one can watch countless repeats of _Friends_ on S4C before it becomes dull and boring." Ianto jested about how he had spent the time, - and there'd been plenty of it, - when he'd been left on his own in the underground base.

Inara swayed again and Mal sent another displeased look Jack's way. "Stop with the idle chit-chat and find my crewmates someplace to rest!"

"Okay!" The captain clapped and rubbed his hands together as he tried his best to avoid the hateful stare whilst speaking to his team. "You two take our guests up to their rooms for the night; I have something important to do." He turned and made a swift escape into his office.

The flowing greatcoat was removed once the door had been closed behind him and Jack hung it on the coat-stand before proceeding to his desk. He sat down in his chair and took a small key from his waistcoat pocket. Leaning to his right he unlocked the bottom draw, seized the battered wallet from within and reached across his desk for the inkless writing quill. _I hope this works. _He told himself as he opened up the psychic paper and was about to start writing when the office door flew open.

"I said, 'you can't go in there'!!" Gwen roared at the eternally narked looking man.

"Qu nide!" Mal shot back as he stormed right up to the desk and confronted the other man. "Hiding are we?"

"Get out!!" She attempted to drag him from the room but her grasp was easily thrown away.

"It's okay, I can handle him. Just go and help Ianto. Once you're both done then go home, sleep, and I'll see you in a few hours when you return."

Obeying her boss's instructions, Gwen left the two men alone in the room and Jack continued with his task as he wrote out his words but left no marks displaying his memo: _Dear Doctor, I hope this message finds you at a convenient time as your assistance is required and would be greatly appreciated. Yours, Jack._

"Shen me niao?!"

Calmly he placed the quill down beside the seemingly blank open wallet and looked at the confused, but still infuriated, Mal. "I'm trying my hardest to secure you and your crew a ticket home."

"Gou pi!!"

_That's it I've had it with him! _Both hands were slammed down on his desktop and Jack forcefully pulled himself up out of his chair. "I don't care if you choose to use snide remarks or insult me, - hell, I agree that I deserve it, - but at least have the decency to do it in a language I can understand!" He was fed-up with the random inserts of Manderin. They annoyed him even more than the passages of Welsh that Ianto chose to write in the journal to purely discourage him from 'secretly' reading it.

The two men stared loathingly at each other in their stand-off. Neither one of them was willing to be the one to back down. That would only be a sign of weakness portrayed to the other.

Finally, in an attempt to discreetly break the silent confrontation, Jack pulled back with his arms held wide. "And while we're at it, it's pretty obvious that you're dying to take another pop at me, so come on and get it over with! Get it all out your system, and maybe then we'll be able to work together …"

"I don't think so." Mal snorted. "If I were to strike you now, then that would only give those two misguided friends of yours a reason to dislike me and my crew even further." He smirked inwardly at the thought that if he played things right then he'd be able to expose this man for who he truly was to them, and then see just how loyal they were after experiencing their captain in such a manner.

"Please Mal, can't we be civilised about this? I genuinely _do_ what to help you. All of you."

"I'll sleep on it." He spoke thoughtfully as he contemplated possible scenarios for unveiling the other man whilst backing away to exit the room. "But it doesn't mean that I've forgiven you for what you did."

"I don't expect you to."

Once the browncoat had left his office, Jack sank back down in his chair. He placed his psychic paper back in the draw and locked it before running a hand across his exasperated face that help neutralised the feeling inside. If the Doctor was unable or unwilling to help return his 'guests' home, then could he seriously cope with having them living close by if Mal was always going to be this confrontational?...

There was a light tapping noise on the door which drew him from the thoughts he had sunk into for the last ten minutes or so, and he smiled at the sight of the Welshman. "Yan."

"Jack." He bowed his head slightly as he entered the office, hands in pockets and slowly pacing to stop at the front of the desk were he casually sat on its edge. "All of our guests have been allocated their own individual rooms, are comfortably settled for the night and Gwen has gone back home as instructed."

"Thank you Ianto, not just for the progress report, but for standing up for me earlier." A huge dopey grin was present on the captain's face as he continued to gaze dreamily at his lover. He was extremely glad that the younger man hadn't turned away from him after hearing about what he had done in his past and gave a little chuckle. "But next time could you concentrate on your aim a little more? You almost hit me instead of your target."

"I wasn't aiming for either of you." The Welshman smirked and then wore a more earnest face as he stared at the other man. "I don't agree with what you did Jack, but I'm certainly not going to hold it against you."

"What would you hold against me?" A sly smile was quick to take over the captain's features, his mind clearly straying to other territories.

Eyes rolled in Ianto's head at the inability of the older man to see the seriousness of the words that had been spoken. He got back on to his feet and approached the door. "Goodnight Jack."

"Goodnight?" His face dropped as he watched him leave. "Yan?" Quickly he jumped to his feet and race off after him. "Ianto, wait!"

Out in the main area of the Hub, the Welshman stopped and turned. "Yes?" He asked with raised brows though not at all surprised that the attempt to stop him from leaving had been made.

"Stay." Jack gasped his plea as he came jogging up to the younger man. "You know that my hole's more than big enough to fit two people in at the same time…" He winced at hearing the words which had left his mouth. "That argument sounded heaps better inside my head. I didn't mean…"

"It's okay, I knew what you meant." He was unable to keep a straight face. "Just badly phrased on your part."

"So you'll stay?"

There was a beat of a pause and Ianto shook his head. "No, not tonight."

"Why not?"

"I'm tired Jack, I need sleep."

"I'll let you sleep. I promise, I'll be good and keep my hands to myself." He'd had a startling surprise at having discovered part of his past slip through the Rift and although he wouldn't admit it, Mal's presence had shaken him pretty badly. All he wanted right now was the comfort and familiarity which was easily felt by just having the other man present with him. Of course he wouldn't admit any of that out loud either.

Ianto stared at the pouting face of the man that was used to getting his own way all of the time. _Well not anymore_. He leaned forward to give one last kiss, -_ nothing more_, he told himself, - and then pulled back, leaving the other hanging and desperately wanting more as their lips parted. "Goodnight Jack."

Accepting that he'd been defeated as the younger man's mind wasn't likely to change any time soon, the captain bid farewell with a sad smile. "Goodnight Ianto. Drive carefully."

"I will." He assured as he restrained the show of tiredness that was trying to escape him and turned to leave via the huge circular entrance.

Jack watched him go and then returned, alone, into his office. He was completely unaware that two spectators, - in the form of Kaylee and Jayne, - stood on the walkway along the front of the living quarters high above.

"See, I told you they were a couple." The young woman smiled with a hint of smugness in her voice.

"Ugh, that's just wrong." Her friend was less than please at having just watched the two men kiss.

"No it's not! In fact I think it's extremely sweet."

"You think what's extremely sweet?" Simon asked as he entered on the scene and wrapped his arms around his girlfriend as he approached her from behind.

"The sight of two people in love with each other." She told him as she leaned back into the embrace and tilted her head to meet his lips as they came down to join hers.

Jayne rolled his eyes. "I'm off to bed."

888888888888888888888888888

In the early morning darkness, Ianto walked along the bay towards the car park next to the Wales Millennium Centre. During his journey, he passed by many groups of people and the odd straggler, - all of them student binge drinkers judging by the drunken state of them, - as their night out was coming to an end due to the bars gradually closing up.

The young Welshman placed his hand into his pocket ready to draw out his car keys as his vehicle was now within sight and was stopped by a woman. _Correction, - girl._ He told himself as she was clearly underage but plastered with make-up to make her look older.

"'Scuse us mista but yous 'aven't got da time on ya?" Her words were slurred and grammar appalling.

He bit back the sardonic temptation that he felt bubbling inside him and smiled politely. Maybe if she had been just that little bit more sober, - and brighter perhaps? - then she would have realised that the mobile phone she was holding displayed the time perfectly clear, and there had been no need to ask him at all. "Just a little after two thirty."

There was an inaudible grunt which was assumed to be a thank you of some kind, as the girl staggered away, raising the mobile to her ear and conversed in a garbled tone with whoever it was on the opposite side of the line. Ianto shook his head in disbelief as he watched her go and then proceeded to get into his car.

Once inside he rubbed his eyes and told himself to stay awake just that little bit longer. He knew that he shouldn't drive when tired, and luckily he wasn't going far. Taking a taxi would have been the smarter option, but trying to compete against the late night/early morning drinkers, well it was simply something he'd rather not do.

The keys turned to start the engine and slowly he pulled away to drive by the underage teenager who had asked him for the time as she now argued with her phone. "C'mon bruv, be ma abye."

"You mean alibi?"

"'Swat I sed, yeah? Abye. Evrawg, Mam's not gunna be 'appy if she fins out 'bout…"

"Okay, but it's the last time." The voice sighed on the other end of the line and was accompanied by a dog panting with the occasional yelp. "I'm fed-up of covering for you going out on the piss with those so-called mates of yours. Just let me finish walking Buster and then I'll be there to pick you up. I'll drop you off back at my place, - where presumably you've been all night if mum asks, - but then I have to leave to start my shift at work okay?"

"'Kay."

The young man hung up on his drunken sibling and continued to walk his dog through the park area of Pentyrch. His Jack Russell Terrier stopped in its pace and he tugged hard on the leash. "Come on Buster, stop stalling every few metres!" There was a yelp before the pair strode side by side once more.

A few more steps and Buster stopped yet again. This time he began to bark in the non-threatening way that only small dogs seem to be capable of doing.

"Come on!" The Terrier refused to move and was now being dragged along through the park by its owner. "What's gotten into you? You usually love your walks."

Teeth were now beginning to show as the dog growled in a frightening manner. Several tuffs of hair stood raised around its neck and the barks that now emitted from the sharp jiggered jaws were nothing less than terrifying.

"B-buster?" Evrawg's voice shook as he spoke. Never before had he seen the Jack Russell behave in such a way during the three years he had owned the pet. Was it possibly rabies? No, it wasn't rabies as he followed the dog's line of vision to see a gang of three well-built silhouetted thugs thundering towards them both. "Shit!"

Letting go of the leash he turned and ran to try and escape the attack which his dog must have foreseen. He could hear the growls and snarls as the Terrier stood his ground and tried to warn the gang away, but they were quickly silenced with the snapping of the animal's spine. What sounded like a joyful whooping noise rang through the air; a victory for the thugs with their despicable and unnecessary killing.

The path was mainly made of rubble and dirt and was uneven beneath Evrawg's feet as they pounded as hard as he could make them. His right foot caught on a rock poking out of the ground and he fell down on all fours. Swiftly he pushed himself up and just as he was about to sprint off, felt himself grabbed by his chasers.

A loud horrifying scream gushed from the young man's throat as he felt a chunk of his flesh stripped clean from his upper right arm. He then felt multiple stab wounds inflicted on his back and another chunk of flesh, - this time from around his lower regions, - was torn away by one of the monsters now standing before him. Evrawg let out another scream as the pain washed through him, all the while staring into the wild, primitive eyes that burned with brutal intent.

In appearance the attackers looked human, bordering on the Neanderthal, and made indecipherable animal-like sounds that would send a chill down your spine. They were human and yet not human at the same time; the most horrible creatures you could ever possibly imagine.

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

**A/N: Anybody who knows the Cardiff area or likes things 100 percent accurate will know that there is _no way_ the SUV could have been driven through Splott on the way back from Pontypridd unless a major de-tour was taken. It's a teeny little thing that bugs me in this chapter, but not sure how to by-pass that :P**

**I'm aiming to update this every 2/3 weeks whilst I continue to work on my other fics, but please don't hold me too that as other things in life tend to crop up every now and then which may delay me further. **

**Thanks for being so patient****.**

**KG**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you to all who reviewed and added this fic to their lists :)**

**Chapter Four**

Restless, unable to sleep and most definitely unable to leave his free roaming, - but currently snoozing, - guests alone inside the Hub, Jack sought refuge down in the lower depths of the underground vaults.

He didn't 'need' to sleep. It wasn't essential to him, only a curse at such times as now, when forced into isolation, be it mentally, physically and/or emotionally. The time seemed to drag, whereas on the other hand, it would pass by way too fast during witnessing moments of contentment spent with those he loved. That was the time he treasured most, longed for and yet feared, all at the same time since no amount would ever be enough to carry him through his eternal existence.

There he stood in the centre of the holding cells as he stared into the one containing the Hub's resident Weevil. His gaze was fixed on Janet as she stood on the other side of the glass staring back at him as a mixture of growls, snarls and the occasional purr left her wide jagged jaws. He had no idea what any of the noises meant in the terms of formal communication, but at times when his mind was plagued with agitation, he would willingly tell her things that he knew would not be repeated back to anyone else. It made it feel like a conversation and confiding his troubles which he couldn't and wouldn't ever burden others with. What was said in the vaults would stay in the vaults.

So far he'd explained to her about what had happened that night with the shuttle pod coming through the Rift. How he and the other captain had originally gotten to know each other. How they acted towards each other now. How he truly felt about the whole ordeal, - deeply regretting the things he'd done, - and how he was trying to put things right. "… If he just took a moment to stop and think then he'd see that I've changed, but _nooo_. He's even more confrontational than Owen was!"

A loud rumbling purr left the Weevil's mouth at the mention of the deceased doctor.

"I know, I miss him too." Jack told her sadly and watched as she retreated to sink back into one of the cell's corners and slowly slumped to the floor. _I guess that's your way of telling me you've heard enough of my voice?_ He was met with another glance from those dark eyes buried within the folds of skin which created the wrinkled brow.

Now looking at his watch the captain saw that it was fast approaching eight o'clock. Soon it would be time for his team to re-gather and their guests waking. "Looks like I've kept you talking for long enough now, so I'll be off." He turned to leave after giving the alien a small thank you salute for hearing his woes.

With his hands thrust deep into his pockets, Jack paced back along the tunnel he had walked several hours earlier. It joined to a network of more tunnels which lead not only back to the main area of the Hub, but also to the morgue and the numerous, almost infinite, storage rooms.

As he turned a corner, he then suddenly stopped at the sight of the teenager who also froze and looked like a frightened rabbit caught in headlights. "Hello." He said calmly with a smile, though maybe if she wasn't seen as a child in his eyes then he would have perhaps been angry at her for coming down into the tunnels. "You really shouldn't be down here."

"Sorry." River mumbled feebly and was thankful that the man hadn't made a fuss about her inquisitiveness. "I, er …" She began to try and explain herself and stammered as he approached and casually placed an arm around her shoulders. "What's down there?"

"Nothing for you to be concerned about." Jack assured the girl as he guided her back the way she had come.

"Whatever it is, it's alone and screaming for help."

_Oh great, just what I need, more guilt!_ He thought sarcastically knowing that she must have been able to form some kind of psychic link with the Weevil being held in the glass cell since she was unable to sense him in such a way. If he knew that Janet wouldn't pose any kind of threat to the citizens of Cardiff then he would let her go in a heartbeat as he hated seeing anything keep against its will. "Like I said, it's nothing for you to be concerned about."

They walked almost side by side, Jack making sure that River was ever so slightly ahead, just in case she tried to sneak back pass him, and soon the pair of them came to exit into the main area of the underground base. Taking his arm from her, the captain then turned to close the huge steal door behind them to prevent further ventures into the tunnels for any of his visitors.

"Wei!"

There was an exasperated sigh from Jack as he abandoned the security code for the door after hearing the outraged cry from the other captain. "And good morning to you to Mal." He turned to face the other man. "What did I tell you about the Mandarin?"

"Like I'm going to take notice of anything you say." He sneered. "What were you doing back there with River?"

"Nothing!"

"I don't believe you." Mal's hateful gaze bore into the face of the man who he knew was incapable of keeping his hands to himself.

"Why are you always so mean to Jack?" River questioned her captain. "You act like he's done something wrong when all he's done is try to help us."

"Hypocrite." Jack snorted with a laugh as he saw the faltering expression on the other man's face. "You have a go at me about not mentioning our past to my team and yet you've done the same as she's clearly unaware of it too." He gave a smug challenging look. "So who else doesn't know?"

It was another silent stand-off between the two men which was broken by the sound of Kaylee's voice as she and three others, - Simon, Zoë and Jayne, - descended down the rickety metal stairway. "Good morning all!"

Mal stepped down from the confrontation and approached his second in command. "How's Inara?"

"Conscious, but still resting." Zoë told him to ease the concern that she knew was building up inside her friend.

"She wasn't too happy about it, but I recommended that she stay where she is for the time being." Simon added to the conversation. "You can go up and see her any time though."

"Thanks, I'll head up there in a little while …"

There was a noise, - like thunder, - which was muffled as it stemmed from deep within Jayne's stomach. "I'm hungry!" He stated and then looked towards the man keeping them cooped up in the underground base. "I want something to eat."

"You'll all have to wait a while until the rest of my team arrive as I don't have anything to give you." Jack replied. "Torchwood doesn't normally offer a bed and breakfast service, and the fact that you guys turned up during the hours you did, didn't really give us an option to stock up for this moment either."

"We can at least have a drink, right?" Kaylee asked politely.

"Afraid not."

"Why not?" Zoë demanded. "Ianto offered to make us coffee, which was greatly appreciated, but declined since we were all exhausted and just wanted to sleep at that moment in time."

"Well that was then, and this is now!" It wasn't that he didn't want to offer his guests a drink, but more like he didn't have a clue how to correctly operate the huge coffee machine that the Welshman prized so much.

"Are you trying to tell us that making a few hot beverages is beyond your capabilities?" Mal taunted, completely unaware of just how right he was.

_If it's coffee you want, then coffee you'll get! _Jack's mind growled with mounting frustration and was determined not to been shown up in front of the crew, especially the other captain. He strode away from the unlocked doorway, a hand diving into his pocket during the journey, and over to the kitchenette area to make the requested drinks.

Everyone followed his lead, except River. She was set on unveiling whatever it was that was crying out throughout the strange place they had been brought into. After watching them all walk away from her, she then carefully pulled back the heavy door just enough to squeeze herself through, and did so.

Just as the door closed behind River, the circular main entrance rolled open and in stepped Gwen. "And how are our guests this morning?" She asked with a casual smile whilst removing a set of earphones from her head, and joined the group gathering around her boss near the kitchenette area.

"Hungry." Jayne complained to her as his stomach grumbled again.

"And thirsty." Zoë added as they all watched Jack who was faintly cursing after having received nothing from the call he had just tried to make on his mobile phone.

"'Kay, Ianto's phone isn't switched on, so I'm going to need your help Gwen." He gestured for her to come closer. "I'll be sending you on a little shopping trip to buy food for everyone, but until then …" She was now within his reach and he dragged her closer still as he made sure that their backs were facing the others as he whispered into her ear. "Do you have any idea how this blasted machine works?"

"Nope." She whispered back and then saw her captain reach down under the counter for a well concealed-from-view piece of sports equipment. "What's with the hockey stick?"

"When we get a moment alone, I'll gladly give you a demonstration, but right now I'm kinda busy." He held the stick in a both hands grip as he raised it like a bat, ready to strike the coffee maker.

"Oh Jack, no!" Gwen saw the partially demented look in his eyes as he swung back his chosen weapon. "Please tell me that you're not going to …"

"How'd you think I used to get my daily caffeine fix before I hired Ianto?" He knew that the Welshman would be angry and upset over the dents that he was about to inflict, but how else was he supposed to make drinks for his guests? "Okay, here I go, after three." A deep breath to psyche himself up. "One…"

"I wouldn't be surprised if he causes you multiple deaths for this." Gwen joked and took a step back to avoid being accidentally hit by her captain, catching glimpses of the bewildered faces of their guests as she did so.

"… Two…"

The sound of the cog-like door opening was almost drowned out by the Welshman's dry remark. "Gwen, when someone shouts for you to 'hold up', the polite thing to do is wait for them!" He wasn't happy that she had only been a short distance ahead of him just before entering the tourist office and had left him to use the stairs as she descended in the lift instead of allowing him to ride it too.

"... Three!"Jack froze his actions at hearing the other man's voice, his stance ready to swing out the sports equipment at any moment.

"Sorry, sweetheart." Gwen apologised to her colleague and friend for her seeming rudeness. "Had my i-pod on, couldn't hear a thing."

Ianto nodded his acceptance of the explanation given. His eyes were wide with surprise at seeing his lover holding the hockey stick. "I'll pretend that I didn't see that shall I?"

"See what?" Jack laughed nervously, avoiding the Welshman's gaze, and quickly scurried to place his weapon back where it had come from. "I tried calling you. Your phone's switched off."

"I know." He entered further into the Hub. Both hands were loaded up with bulging carrier bags. "I'm fed up with my network provider text spamming during the early hours and waking me just to let me know that calling from abroad is five pence cheaper than their competitors. And you can always guarantee that it'll happen when I need sleep the most. Why they have to inform me at such ungodly hours I'll never know. It's a conspiracy I tell you, we should look into it."

"And what if I needed you?"

"You mean like last Thursday?"

"No." Jack still had his back to everyone as he placed the hockey stick back into its hiding place. "Well yeah, _but_ I'm actually talking about the 'end of the world' type needing you."

"From the way you were talking last Thursday, you made it sound like the world would have ended if we didn't …"

"Are those strawberries?" Jayne asked as he cut in to abruptly dissolve the conversation between the two men.

"Where?!" Kaylee demanded excitedly and followed the finger now pointing to one of the bags that the Welshman held. Her eyes lit up at the sight of the shiny red fruit positioned at the top of one of the carriers.

"A whole punnet of them." Ianto held out his bags for them to take. "Here help yourselves. I wasn't sure what any of your tastes were, so bought a variety of things. There's bound to be something that each of you will like."

For the first time since the young Welshman had entered the Hub just a moment ago, Jack's view now fell on him. There was a strong sense of pride contained within as he watched his lover's load taken from him. He really should have known that he needn't have tried to phone and ask for the other man to swing by the market on his way into work as Ianto was always one step ahead when it came to the little things that mattered, which he himself would be most likely to overlook.

"Is all of this real?" Simon asked in amazement. It had been a long time since he had seen so much food which differed greatly from the rations that they were used to on board Serenity. "All genuinely grown and prepared?"

"Yes." Ianto smiled in response. "Though I do have doubts regarding the sausage rolls and pasties."

"Mal." Zoë called to get his attention as he still wore a disgusted look aimed towards the other captain, and held up an oval shaped loaf that glistened with a golden glaze as it covered the ridges on its top. "Bread, freshly baked from the smell and feel of it." She watched him lick his lips, eager to have the chance of filling his stomach on something other than the bland substitutes which Kaylee always did her best with to disguise into some other form.

"Bon appetite." Jack grinned as he too had noticed the other captain's reaction to the temping food offered before him.

"I haven't finished with you yet." Mal warned with his finger pointing. "Once I've had my fill, I'm picking up right where I left off."

"Which would be where? What exactly are we confronting each other about this time? I sure as hell can't remember." He watched the other man ignore him and walk away to join the rest of the crew who Ianto was leading up into the boardroom.

Gwen remained by her captain's side and saw the saddened look in his eye. "Give him time. He'll come around, eventually." She received no answer from him as he now became lost in thought, no doubt thinking back over his past. "You're not a bad man Jack, and don't you ever let him succeed into making you think that you are."

There was silence between them. The kind of silence that expressed the understanding of each other. Slowly the Welshwoman weaved her fingers with her boss' hand and gave a reassuring squeeze that was also accompanied by the sympathetic smile. He smiled back relieved to know that he still had the full support of his team, no matter what the Rift threw at that them and revealed about his past.

A high pitched ringing coming from Gwen's jacket pocket indicated that she had an incoming call on her mobile. She speedily answered it. "Hello?"

"Have you got a minute?" Her former partner's sombre voice came down the line.

"Course I have, what is it? Hey!!!" The phone had been snatched for her grasp and the call cancelled. "Jack! That was Andy…"

"If it's important he'll ring back, but right now you've got a job to be doing so the social chit-chat will have to wait." He handed the phone back and she concealed it in her pocket once more. "We've got a bunch of twenty-sixth century people who need a crash course in twenty-first century life. Falling through time and space to be stranded out of your original timeframe is pretty distressing, so they're gonna need every bit of help we can offer."

"Yeah okay, but there's one tiny little thing that you're forgetting."

"And what's that?"

"My hand." She almost regretted pointing it out as she savoured the touch of their flesh, even if it was only their hands. "I'm gonna need it back sometime soon."

"Of course." The captain laughed nervously and released his hold before she did the same. "Now, hop to it."

888888888888888888888888888

"Gwen?" Andy was puzzled as to why the line had gone dead. If he was feeling like his usual self then he would have spurted out some sarky comment that wouldn't be heard by anyone else.

But he wasn't feeling himself, and as he remembered the gruesome discovery he had made on his way to work a few hours ago, - and was now investigating with several other of his fellow police officers, - his stomach violently whirled. He rushed right back into the cubicle of Pentyrch park's public toilets which he had exited only a moment ago and was sick, again.

8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

**A/N: Kinda slow this chapter but it will pick up in the next one.**

**In response to Wake-up Soon's review, the translation of the Welsh used in the last chapter is; _"Always carry plenty of tissues"_ I'll leave you all to** **interpret that as you wish ;) **

**Does anybody want translations adding for the Mandarin used in this fic? I'm trying to keep it to a minimum as my knowledge of it is pretty poor, but I feel it's essential to use to make the Firefly characters believable.  
**

**KG**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you to all who reviewed and added this fic to their lists :)**

**Chapter Five**

For over half an hour they'd been seated around the huge table of the boardroom, filling their faces with the various foods purchased from the indoor market, and waiting for Ianto to return to them with the promise of coffee that he'd guaranteed a short while earlier.

It had been decided that the crash course in twenty-first century life would wait until they were all assembled together since two of their guests weren't present at the current time. This way there would be no repeating themselves and wasting time that could be better spent elsewhere.

Jack sat at the far end, staring daggers at the other captain who had seated himself in his place at the head position of the table. To Mal's right sat Zoë and Jayne, and on his left was Simon, Kaylee and Gwen. He didn't like it when other people purposefully crossed the line and moved in on his territory, but held himself back as he knew that it was merely another tactic used by to wind him up even further. Slowly his lips began to curl with amusement and his laugh suppressed as he watched the other man proceed to eat a small cheese without removing its wax coating.

"Would you care to share the joke?" Mal asked as he noticed the ever-so-faint muffled sound of the snicker.

"It's nothing." Jack assured and caught a quick glimpse out of the corner of his eye as Gwen too had her lips tightly pursed together, holding back her own laughter from the situation.

"What is it that you guys do here all day anyhow?" Another bite was taken from the waxy diary product as Mal scornfully questioned the man he loathed. "Not much from the looks of it."

"Bit of this, bit of that." Jack shrugged lazily with a sigh. He held back the urge to lecture the other man about how important Torchwood was and that it could be manic at times. That was the kind of reaction the rival captain would be expecting from him so was determined to prove him wrong. "Sometimes the odd game or two of naked hide and seek."

"Naked you say?" Jayne's attention had been caught and his view crept across to land on the Welshwoman. A sly grin shone on his face. "I like the sound of that."

_Men! _Gwen rolled her eyes and did her best to ignore the look she'd received.

"Count me in when you next play. What do you say Mal, you in too?"

"With him?!" He was insulted by his friend's suggestion. "No way. You never know what you're letting yourself in for with Jack."

"Suit yourself then." Jayne grumbled before turning back to the other captain with his questions. "So what are the rules to this game then? Obviously you have to be naked to play, but what else?"

"It's pretty simple; you find 'em, you fuck 'em."

"Oh this game just gets better!"

That was it, Gwen wasn't prepared to put up with the perverted glances from the bearded man any longer. She'd soon burst his bubble. "Sorry love, but I don't play. I'm sure you'll be glad to know that you'll have Jack and Ianto all to yourself."

"What?!" Jayne was horrified by her words and fearfully looked across at Jack to see him grinning wickedly. "I take it back; I ain't playin' that!"

Everyone around the table, apart from the horror-struck man, burst into some form of laughter. The two captains' eyes meeting briefly before the hilarity dissolved back into scowls and silence lingered over all of them.

Simon broke the uncomfortable stillness. "I wonder how long that sister of mine is going to sleep before she finally decides to join us?"

"She went back to her room to sleep?" Jack voiced his thoughts aloud. "I wondered where she'd gotten too."

"What do you mean 'went back'?" Zoë questioned. "River hasn't risen from her room yet, has she?"

"Uh-huh she has." Kaylee joined in the discussion. "She was already down here before we all got up, I saw her."

"Then where is she now?" The young doctor asked nervously but received no reply.

Mal mutter something inaudible as his head fell into his palm. That girl was almost impossible to keep tabs on, especially when backs were turned for the slightest split second.

"I seen her." Jayne stated through a mouthful of food. "Snuck through that big door over there when she thought no one was looking." He gestured to the door, - which Jack hadn't quite finished locking before being confronted, - leading down to the catacomb of tunnels.

Simon swiftly rose to his feet as he push back from were he sat. "I'll get her."

"No!" Mal snapped. "You'll sit down and stay where you are!"

Jack watched the youthful man hesitantly lower down into the chair again. He was pretty certain that the teenager was searching for the weevil she had sensed earlier and so braced himself ready for the other captain to yell that he was responsible for the girl's disappearance. Much to his surprise, the telling off didn't come as it was the tall man who received the scolding instead.

"Go get her, Jayne."

"What? Why should I? I'm not the little weshen's keeper!"

There was a snort of disbelief that he'd been answered back to, and Mal let a hint of anger enter his voice to express his disapproval of the other man's attitude. "You know perfectly well what River is like and you just stood there, watched her go and didn't say anything until now!"

Silence.

More anger seeped into his words as he ordered again, "Go get her! _Like!!_"

Cursing under his breath, Jayne finally did as he'd been told and slunk off to find the teenager.

"Do you always have to speak that way to get your crew to do what you ask of them?" Jack smirked to receive a heated glare from the other captain.

"Oh please Jack, don't pretend that you haven't done the same to me and Ianto in the past." Gwen sighed heavily.

"Whose side are you on?!" He shot back at her, feeling slightly wounded by the truthful remark.

"No one's, but if you want to get along with Mal, then you're going to have to stop provoking him into petty squabbles."

Jack's mouth flapped silently. Typical Gwen, no matter what the situation, she'd always find something to pull him up on and cause a disagreement. That was what he loved about her, about all of the members of his team that he had ever recruited. They were willing to follow him, but at the same time were never afraid to stand against him with their own principles. He always saw it as a sign that his selection had been well made. They kept him grounded. Kept him human. "I'm not provoking."

"Mal's no better either." A chuckle stated as Inara and Ianto appeared on the scene, arms linked as the Welshman guided her to the table.

"You're supposed to be resting." Mal insisted as the companion seated herself in Jayne's chair which was kindly held out by her escort.

"If I feel faint then I'll go straight back and lie down again." The concern from her captain and friend was waved off. The seat was carefully pushed underneath her. "Although Mr Jones here has done his best to make those rooms inhabitable, I don't wish to spend more time than necessary in there."

"Please, call me Ianto." He insisted with a smile, politely waiting until she had finished speaking before informing her. "I do apologise that the rooms aren't up to much. Can I get you anything?"

"Qing zailai yi bei hage kafei." She smiled back.

A spark of jealousy had been triggered inside Jack as he watched his lover smile in that jaunty way which, - until this point, - had been reserved for his eyes only and usually appeared after their ever-so-satisfying sexual antics. Why was he now smiling at her like that? And just what had she said to him in the foreign language? Was it possible that she had taken him on as her client? They'd been alone up there, - in her designated room - long enough to … no, Ianto wouldn't do that to him. Would he?

The Welshman poured a cup of steaming hot coffee for the woman he'd arrived with. He then began to make his way around the table seeing to their guests' beverage needs.

"I'll take a cup too!" Jack exclaimed impatiently as he watched the other captain's drink being poured. "And _whatever else_ you're offering." He gave a sideways glare towards Inara as she peered at his lover over the rim of her cup. _Hands off, he's mine! _Thoughts growled in his mind as the jealousy burned deeply, now understanding the feeling he caused the Welshman every time that he himself flirted, - though unintentionally; he just couldn't help it, - and intended to think twice before doing so in future.

There was a sound of something swiftly moving across the table's surface and the captain diverted his gaze to the plate of biscuits that had hit his arm resting on the tabletop. "What the…?"

"You asked for 'whatever else' I was offering, so there you go." Ianto gave a smug smirk at the puzzled expression staring at him.

"Mmm, dead fly sandwiches." All the bitterness he'd experienced just a moment ago had now disappeared as playful taunting continued towards the innuendo having been purposefully overlooked.

A displeased stare was given by the Welshman at the witty term that had been used to describe the plate's sweet display which had been taken literally by three of their guests.

Upon hearing Jack's words, Kaylee was swift to spit out the contents of her mouth in one huge mound that landed in her hand, leaving her with the inconvenient task of getting rid of it further. Mal was more discreet with removing the partially chewed treat from his mouth and coolly placed it on the table in front of him. Determined to seem unruffled by the fact that she believed to have just consumed one of the insect based snacks, Zoë sat calmly, still holding the second biscuit in her hand.

Ianto now stood pouring coffee for the young doctor with a slight smirk on his otherwise serene face. "Unless you're prepared to be more specific with your request, then I'm afraid garibaldies are all that you will be getting from me."

"You think you're so funny, don't you Ianto Jones?"

"Think? No. Know? Y..."

"_Monster! Monster!_" Jayne's cries grew louder and interrupted the couple's banter as he raced back into the main area of the Hub. He looked shaken, terrified by the strange being he had encountered behind the glass cell. "They've got a gorram monster down there, and River's talking to it like it's one of us!"

"Ah, she finally found Janet then?" Jack chuckled to himself only to swiftly stop as Mal glared dangerously at him.

"If she comes to any harm …"

"Relax." Ianto came to his lover's defence as the other captain started his verbal attack. "The cells in the vaults are impenetrable so she'll be quite safe."

"What does he mean by you have a monster down there?" Zoë asked inquisitively.

"Wanna take a look?" Jack asked with a grin.

"Depends." She stated almost tiresomely, aware of how the man's mind worked just like it had all those years ago. "Which 'down there' did you have in mind?"

The threat which had been made back at the crash site was something he wasn't likely to forget quickly if he wanted to keep his tackle intact. He decided that all suggestive remarks towards her were best to be left unsaid and refrained from making the likely comment of indicating his prized assets. "The vaults of course."

Concerned about the traumatized-like state Jayne seemed to be in, Gwen approached the rival captain. "Is he going to be alright?"

"Yeah." Mal nodded confidently. "This so-called monster probably triggered the memory of when he was held captive by …" He trailed off. There was no reason why the woman should know about one of his crew's pasts, so why was he telling her?

"Say no more." She assured knowing that a sensitive subject had been raised.

With Jack leading the way, everyone from around the table followed after him. Not wanting to be left on his own, Jayne also joined the conga-like line as they began to disappear into the tunnels.

Gwen's mobile rang and she stopped to check the caller ID. "Is that Rhys wanting to know if you'll be home tonight?" Her boss asked as he mockingly checked his watch. "He's a little early today; tell him he's made a new record of the least time to pass before his insecurity set in."

She gave him an only half-amused look, tired of her husband being made fun of all the time. "Actually no it's not. It's Andy, and this time I'm taking his call, carry on without me and I'll be down shortly."

The line continued out of sight down the dark winding path and Gwen answered her call. "Hey Andy!"

"Don't hang up on me this time."

"Yeah, sorry about earlier, you know what Jack's like." She felt the need to apologise to her friend who was lacking his usual cheery exterior. And where was he to make the sound echo like it did? "So, what's up?"

"This case I'm working on, it's right up your street." He told her. "In fact I'm surprised that Torchwood isn't already all over it. You guys are like flies on shit when it comes to stuff like this."

"Stuff like what? We've been kind of busy caught up with a few visitors. You know, like when Freda came through the Rift?" She waited for an answer for several moments but it didn't come. "Andy?"

"Hang on a sec, yeah?" There was a retching sound shortly after his words and Gwen realised that he must be in some kind of toilets. It would explain the echo at least. Flushing water proved her right and her friend's voice came back on the line. "Sorry about that."

"No worries." She assured him. "Andy, are you okay? You don't sound to well. Perhaps you'd be better off at home?"

"I'll be fine, it's just the case I'm working on." He paused and she could sense that another wave of vomit was being held back. "Just the though of it … Geez Gwen, we never saw anything like this before, it … it's just vile."

"What is?"

More silence.

"Check the police systems for last night's murders in Pentyrch." Another pause whilst he tried to keep what very little content he had remaining in his stomach. "Sorry Gwen, I really have to go."

"Okay, take care and we'll speak later." She heard the other end of the line go dead as Andy hung up.

Quickly she raced over and booted up one of the computers so she could hack the information she'd just been told about. What was going on which had passed right by without them noticing?

It took a few minutes, but soon she was in and the pictures displayed on the screen made her glad that they were just that and not the real deal like her friend was facing. A hand covered her mouth in shock. _Poor Andy. _Her eyes scanned over the text which she found hard to focus on as the others were laughing aloud as they returned into the Hub…

"… easy mistake to make." Jack was trying to shrug off the fuss about the error he had made. "When they're coming at you with their teeth bared, - ready to puncture and slash your jugular, - the last thing you think about is getting their gender correct. How was I supposed to know that Janet is in fact male?"

"I just find it extremely amazing that River can communicate with them so easily." Ianto was in awe, mesmerised by the teenager's ability. He pondered over the idea of taking her back into the cells on their own at some point and extracting as much information as possible from the weevil. Not only would it help to better Torchwood's understanding of the alien race that it knew very little about, but it would also give him better understanding of his lover.

The Welshman knew that there were a lot of things that Jack refused to share with him and thanks to the girl voicing the secret she had extract from the weevil's mind just a moment ago, - how the 'gleaming teeth human' had been greatly un-nerved by the absence of two days from the team's life many months back, - he had now discovered the other man's equivalent to his diary. Jack was always taking a peek at his, so why not reverse the roles?

"Oi, you two!" Gwen shouted once she had managed to swallow the lump in her throat. "Over here. I think there's something you both should see. But I warn you now, it's not pretty."

"I guess that rules out the possibility of you showing us your womanly assets." Jack chuckled as he and Ianto began to make their way over to her.

The hilarity was not shared by the Welshman. He knew, - well assumed, - that there was nothing going on between his lover and colleague, but sometimes he couldn't help wondering if there was. His eyes caught a glimpse of the screen. "Urgh, you weren't kidding when you said it wasn't pretty." A hand rose to his mouth just in case he wasn't able to keep down the churning in his stomach. "Thank god there's no smell to accompany those images."

"Where? When? How many?" Jack asked as his eyes widened in horror at the sight that now met his eyes. Displayed before him were the remains from several brutal attacks, each of them mostly a bloody mess pool with just the odd one or two 'scraps' from the victims.

"All from Pentyrch and the surrounding area." Gwen began to relay the report's facts that she had been reading. "Estimated that they happened late last night to the early hours of this morning. So far there have been eight instances discovered and reported. All of them currently under investigation, but there's still several more suspected cases going by the high percentage of missing persons claims over the last twelve hours." She ran her fingers across the keyboard to highlight and enhance several areas of the report. "Only one man has been able to be identified and named. Evrawg Evans. And that was only just possible by linking the inadequate facial remains that where found with a concerned phone call to the police regarding his whereabouts. No witnesses have come forward as of yet."

The screen filled with the image of the young man's face that had been striped away from his body, - _corpse, -_ Jack hoped as he got the sickening feeling that the man had still been alive from the twisted expressions that had been frozen on the wafery flap of skin. Close by the body of a small dog had been found along with the odd chunk or two of human flesh, but there was no sign of a human body. Same went for the other seven victims as limbs and partial skins, like discarded clothes where found but no torsos in sight.

"Any ideas what could have done this Jack?" Gwen looked at her boss, praying that he had the answers which the police didn't.

"A couple of candidates spring to mind." He was still managing to remain calm despite seeing all of the gruesomeness of the recent murders.

Nervously Jayne fidgeted and paced as he whispered to his captain. "You don't suppose it was _them_, do you?"

"Don't suppose it was who?!" Jack barked the demand, his sharp hearing having caught the man's frightful murmur. "If there's something you're keeping from us, then I think now is the time to tell!" None of the group of his guests made eye contact with him as they each avoided his glare.

Reluctantly Mal, - he was captain, was he not? - stepped forward to give an explanation though not quite meeting the other man's gaze. "Before we fell through that Rift thing of yours, we were being chased. Kind of a long story, so I won't bore you with minor details…"

"Who were they?" Jack asked. Now that he thought back, Ianto had mentioned that the quake caused by their entry to twenty-first century Earth was a little big for just a small shuttle pod. He hadn't thought about it at the time, - his mind had been focused elsewhere back then, - but now it seemed possible that maybe a second spacecraft had also come through. One that if it was to have a twenty-fifth century or later cloaking device on it, would not be picked up by their scanning equipment that only span up to the twenty-fourth century.

"… Things got so bad that they managed to board my ship, and with no other choice, we had to launch the escape pods …"

"_Who_ were _they_?" He repeated himself again more sternly.

Now with an irritation of the other captain not having the decency to listen to the whole story of how they ended up on this god-forsaken rock, Mal stared him head on and didn't falter the slightest as he spoke _their_ name, "Reavers."

_No! _It was one of Jack's worst nightmares confirmed and it shook him up completely as he staggered back in fearful despair. _Why them? Why did it have to be them?!_

"Whoa there!" Ianto was quick to help support and steady the older man. The unexpected reaction made him want to hug his lover as an act of comfort for the distress that had been caused but he held himself back. Too many eyes were watching them.

Gwen stared as she felt the fear wash over her also. Never had she seen her captain this scared before and knew that whatever they were up against must be bad. "What are Reavers?" She finally found her voice.

"The most horrible creatures you could ever possibly imagine." Jack managed to gasp with as much dignity as he could muster from being propped up, his body trembling against his will. He gradually eased himself up from the arms of the Welshman, - giving a thankful nod as he did so, - and then dashed straight off towards the browncoat as he converted his fear into anger. "And _you_ brought them here!"

"Zhe shi shenme lan dongxi?!" Mal snarled back as the other captain stopped merely inches in front of him. "_I_ didn't bring them. _They _were pulled here, just like me and my crew."

"He does have a point." Ianto stated. "You know what the Rift is like; it's unpredictable and certainly not picky about what it coughs up on this end." He knew that his words would sound like he was favouring the foreigner, but if it diverted anger away from fuelling the brawl that was on the verge of braking out at any moment then so be it. It was important that they all worked together to vanquish whatever horrid threat was afoot, plus he really didn't fancy cleaning more bloodstains any time soon.

"But he could have, _should have_, told us about the situation they'd been in prior to that." Jack argued back. "That way we could have started a sweep search and those innocent victims …"

"Wouldn't have done any good." Gwen also contributed to the argument. "We'd have been searching around Pontypridd and not Pentyrch." She knew that her boss was secretly cut up over the loss of lives but he had to realise that he couldn't save everyone. "Those people would have died either way. At least now we know where to look."

"That may very well be true, but little is known about the behavioural pattern of these unpredictable creatures." Jack had managed to get his emotions under control and was thinking rationally once again. "I have absolutely no idea how they will act next. They may stay close to where they attacked, or they may flee further afield, your guess is as good as mine."

"So what we need is somebody who has survived capture by these beings?" Ianto pondered out aloud.

"Him!" Gwen exclaimed as she pointed towards Jayne who had been acting nervous the entire time since the Reavers had been mentioned. "I think we should interrogate him. Mal told me that he'd been held captive…"

"No!" The man in question hid behind the rest of the crew as he used them like a human shield. "Don't let 'em anywhere near me. I don't wanna relive that time…"

"Relax Jayne, they won't be asking you anything." Mal assured as he still remained locked in the stare out.

"And who's going to stop me?" Jack smirked. "You?"

"You bet I am. I would fight to the bitter end protecting my crew from any kind of threat. They're everything to me…"

"And that's your problem. That's why you lost the battle at Serenity Valley."

"Shenme?!"

"You fail to see beyond the box." Jack began to elaborate his reasoning. "All that matters to you is the fate of those immediately around you. When your men started falling on the battlefield, you became concerned with only their safety. Instead of ploughing on to victory, you mourned your losses to the extreme and stopped taking the risks which you should have been making as part of your obligation to those millions of people who you were fighting for in the first place."

"I don't see how this is preposterous allegation has anything to do with the situation at hand." Fury began to rage through Mal at what had been said. None of his crew dare speak a word as they continued to watch the intense confrontation.

"Your refusal to let us question your friend is putting possibly hundreds, maybe even thousands, - more if we can't overcome them, - of lives at risk. Don't make the same mistake again. Help me save the innocent, defenceless people of this world." He paused for a dramatic effect and to give the comparison time to sink in. "Just a short while of distressing memories for him will probably give me the information I require, and I'll clear his mind of the trauma once we're done questioning."

Standing his ground, Mal firmly spoke his final unmovable answer. "No." He had a duty to each one of them, they were practically his family who he'd defend, and would not yield to such a play of words from the conman's mouth.

"Have it your way." Seeing that he wasn't going to get any cooperation from the other captain, Jack simply backed down. "Time for plan B." He sighed.

"I'll start the defrost cycle!" Ianto shouted before he darted off back down the tunnels and towards the morgue.

"Plan B? Defrost cycle?" Gwen mused aloud and was scarily amazed at how well her colleague could determine and predict their boss' plans without having them explained. It took her a moment before she too figured out what the secondary plan actually was. "Oh no! Jack, you can't!" She raced after him as he too began his way down the tunnels and quickly blocked his path with her arms outstretched. "No."

"Out of the way Gwen." He calmly ordered her.

Her head shook frantically. "No way, you can't, not after what he's done."

After refusing to move at his request, Jack placed an arm on one of the woman's outstretched limbs. She became more rigid and still refused to move as he tried to shift her.

"Have you forgotten what he did? To the city? John? Owen? Tosh?" Gwen's eyes were moist as she pleaded with Jack not to go ahead with his plan. "What about the things he did to you?"

"No, how could I?" He shook his head sadly. "But right now he's our only other hope of progressing with bringing down this deadly threat. It's time for Gray to wake up."

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

**A/N: I hope that read okay and made sense. It's so hard to write scenes with so many people in at once.**

**KG**

8888888888888888888888888888888

As requested here are the Mandarin translations used in this fic so far:

Hao jiu bu jian – long time no see

Bizui – shut up

Hun-dan – arsehole

Chou wang ba dan – lousy bastard

Shuai – handsome

Aieeyah – oh no

Ba dan – bastard

Qu nide – fuck you

Ni hao ma – how are you

Wuode tain – oh god

Shen me niao – what the fuck

Gou pi – bullshit

Wei – hey

Weshen – troublemaker

Like – do it now

Qing zailai yi bei hage kafei – please bring the coffee

Zhe shi shenme lan dongxi – what crap is this

Shenme – what


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

"This is wrong." Gwen stated, shaking her head as she stood, along with the crew of Serenity, on the viewing level at the top of the medical bay.

Down in the cove below, Jack and Ianto prepared the hibernating body of the young man who had caused much destruction and loss of life a few months beforehand. The two of them had just finished restraining Gray's arms and legs that were now strapped tightly to the table he lay on. They were taking no chances with whatever kind of behaviour that would be displayed upon his awakening.

"We would have had to do this sooner or later." The captain called up in reply, his back to those above as he picked up a folded blanket and clutched it close to his chest under crossed arms. "Every year, thaw him out like we did with Tommy." He watched the Welshman measure a transparent green coloured liquid into a syringe.

"But Tommy wasn't a sick maniac out for revenge." Gwen shot back. "He didn't _murder _anyone, plus he had a purpose …"

"And so does Gray." Jack wouldn't deny that what his brother had done was severely wrong, but right now they needed whatever information they could get in relation to the Reavers' behaviour. His brother being held captive for most of his life by the savage creatures would surely give them the knowledge they wanted in order to overcome them. He just hoped that Gray would cooperate.

"I get the feeling I'm missing something here." Mal, as well as the rest of his crew, was completely at a loss about all things regarding the cryogenically frozen man. "Somebody care to explain?"

"Later; kinda busy right now." In fact, Jack had no desire to discuss his past with anyone. Ianto was the only person he confided such things these days, and even then what he was told was limited. He unfolded the blanket and brought up so that it covered Gray's torso and carefully tucked it underneath him. After having died and come back to life so many times and experiencing the cold numbing sensation caused as soon as the blood supply began to flow freely again, he didn't want his brother to undergo the discomfort that could last for up to several hours after having woken. The warmth of the coverlet would ease that.

On the steel trolley beside him, Ianto placed down the last syringe that he felt they would need to carry out the task at hand. "So who's going to do the honours?"

"Would you mind?" Jack asked, not wanting to administer the injections himself.

"Course not." The Welshman gave a feeble smile. His own personal views on the matter weren't that dissimilar to his colleague's, but it was his loyalty, devotion and belief in the older man's judgment that made him proceed as he picked up the first syringe.

Desperately, Gwen raced down the steps as she spoke. "Jack, please, reconsider!" Her actions caused Ianto to stall with his own.

"Do it!" The captain ordered, ignoring the plea that had been made to him.

The needle was obediently and carefully placed into one of Gray's upper arms and the contents gently squeezed into his blood stream. Once the syringe was empty it was discarded and another dosage was chosen to repeat the same process again.

Slowly Jack's fingers wrapped themselves around one of the restrained hands of his brother, aiming to provide a little comfort for when he awoke. The last time he had seen Gray, - just before he chloroformed him, - he had become more broken than angry, so maybe he'd also finally be forgiven by him for the mistake that was regretted every day of his life?

Gwen stood at the foot of the examination table as she watched the life slowly ooze back into the man who had killed two of her colleagues. Technically Owen had died in the power plant meltdown, - if you wanted to get really technical, he had died long before that, - but if it hadn't been for Gray's rampage on the city then he wouldn't have been there in the first place. And as for Tosh …

She sniffed to force back the tearful, prickling, sensation building behind her eyes from the mere memory of seeing her friend die. How could Jack and Ianto go ahead with letting such a monster continue to live after what he'd done? Her captain's brother or not, he didn't deserve the special treatment he was getting by having his life preserved.

Her frustration boiled even more with her silent thoughts as she recalled the almost snide comment she'd received from Ianto about how she wouldn't understand the 'bond' siblings felt for each other since she was an only child._ Ha, like he would know! And Gray's so-called 'bond' clearly isn't present since he sought vengeance against his own brother._

Up on the viewing level, the spectators watched curiously as they waited for the awakening to happen. River, like most times, seemed to find the whole thing more fascinating than the rest of her crewmates and broke away from them to stand a couple of steps downwards and closer to the stranger lying on the table. She wished that they hadn't restrained him. At least not so tightly anyway. Did they have any idea how much anxiety that would cause to someone who had previously been held against their will and forced to undergo horrifying experiences?

Jack stared at his brother's face and more sadness filled him as he thought about the time that had passed for Gray to have aged into the young man he had become. It was time which he should have spent with him, watching him grow, looking out for him like an older brother would normally do. But of course he hadn't, all because he had let go of his hand when they were children.

Gray's eyelids began to lightly flutter yet remained closed. A nerve in his right cheek twitched just above the scar that ran down his jaw line and neck, and caused several minute ripples before it ceased. Fingertips softly brushed against and curled around the hand loosely holding his before his eye suddenly flew open.

"Jack!" Gray roared hatefully as his vision landed on his brother. The table underneath him shook violently as he struggled with all his might to free himself from the restraints. It was no good, he was pinned tightly were he lay.

"Hello Gray." Jack had to say something. He couldn't just stand there looking like an idiot after having let go of his brother's hand and taken a precautionary step backwards during the thrashing fit that had startled him.

"Don't. You. Hello. Me!" Each word was snarled as the struggling continued and the blanket flopped down to the ground. "Just wait until I get out of these restraints, I'll …"

"It was you!" River gasped in awe, causing Gray to fall silent. "It was you all along!"

Everyone bar the teenager wore blank, confused, expressions.

It was Ianto who broke the silence. "What was him?"

"The voice. He was crying out for help all this time, and none of you were able to detect it echoing throughout this place." She explained in return.

Gray's eyes momentarily widen and dilate at hearing the revelation from the psychic girl before they narrowed into an angry glare at her for what she had exposed about him.

"I think I'd be screaming for help too, if I'd been locked away in some icebox." Mal snorted scornfully.

"Quiet!" Jack snapped in response to the snide remark. He wasn't in the mood for dealing with jeering from the other man right now.

"What'd you do, huh?" Mal had no intention of stopping his interrogation. "You hoodwink him too?"

"I said, _Quiet!!_" The roar rang throughout the medical bay into the rest of the Hub and the two captains became locked in another angered stare-out.

Inara's arm rose and tightly gripped hold of her friend whose temper she knew had reached boiling point and pulled him back as he made several provocative steps forward towards the stairwell leading down into the clinical cove. "Let him be." She told him.

Zoë was quick to back her up. "Now's not the time or place for you two to butt heads."

"Who said anything about butting heads?" Mal sneered. In his attempt to get closer at Jack he tried, but failed, to shake off the hand restraining him. "It's his ass I'm going to trounce!"

"Oh, please don't go giving him fuel for his perverted wit." Gwen sighed. She gently pulled back the curious teenager who was slowly easing her way past where she stood and nearer towards the restrained man. _Stay back sweetie, things could get nasty._

"Or fantasies." Ianto mumbled under his breath but just loud enough so that he would be heard.

"That's enough joking around. We've got serious matters to attend to." Jack breathed deeply and broke away from one loathing stare to face another. He frowned at the sight of his brother who still fought vigorously to free himself from the shackles that bound him to the table. "Take it easy or you're going to cause yourself an injury."

Gray stopped his struggling and sneered. "You know, for a moment there it sounded like you _actually_ cared!" He commenced his battle once again whilst still glaring dangerously at the brother who had failed him all those years ago. There was no way he'd ever forgive him, no matter how much he pleaded.

Confused by the show of abhorrence from the man who was silently afraid and screaming for help, River focused her mind on his in the hope of revealing a better understanding. It took her just a split second to scratch the surface of his memories and uncover the incident which had spawned the hatred that was held within the young man's heart. She gasped loudly as a result of what she had uncovered.

"River?!" Simon was concerned about his younger sister's reaction and began to make his way down to her and Gwen. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Ignoring her brother and with emotions bordering on both fear and disgust, River looked at Jack. "You left him?"

The captain shifted uneasily, clearly aware that the girl had just peered into his brother's thoughts. How much had she been able to see with her abilities? And how biased was his brother's recollection of events?

"You left him behind for them? The Reavers?!"

"No!" Jack exclaimed aloud, yet deep inside he continued to cry. _No, no, no, no! I didn't leave him! It was an accident! A mistake!_ His voice remained firm as he told her, "Whatever you saw; it's not like that."

"Like what?" Gwen asked. What had gone on that'd spooked the girl in her grasp? With nothing more from Jack she glanced across to Ianto who didn't seem at all taken by surprise from their captain's response. _Bloody typical, he knows and I'm left in the dark again!_

"What the hell's going on?!" Gray demanded. That was twice now that the girl had revealed things about him. "How can she…?"

"She's psychic." Jack explained. "She's been reading your thoughts, or rather been unable to avoid hearing the things you're not revealing us." Another frown appeared on his face as he studied the enraged younger man. It was the kind of pitying look that pleaded with his brother, - was he really scared and crying inside? - for Gray to let him help him and amend the feelings that the past had created.

Turning his view from his brother's pathetic gaze and refocusing on the girl, Gray suddenly blanked his mind as he continued to stare menacingly at her. He'd see to it that she paid for exposing his vulnerability by revealing his inner longing of wanting to escape from his nightmare.

"Oh!"

"River?" Simon speedily covered the rest of the distance to be by his sister's side after hearing the enormous gasp from her. He needn't have been worried though as he saw a contented dreamy look fill her face as she glanced at the areas all around them.

"It's stopped." She smiled at her brother who mimicked the smile back, knowing how she yearned for serene times that often seemed too few for her thanks to her ability. "So peaceful. So quiet."

_So completely fake._ Jack told himself as he continued to eye his brother. It was pretty obvious to him that Gray had recoiled within himself to stop anymore revelations being made that would expose his inner feelings. At least now he knew that there was still some hope of trying to reconnect and make things right with his brother if there was more than just hatred festering away inside him. But the time for that would have to wait; he needed to focus on the situation at hand. "I need your help Gray, that's why I woke you up."

"Lucky me." He sneered in reply and then added, "Why would I help you?"

"I dunno." Jack shrugged. "But I'm still willing to help you. In return. Rehabilitate you into society …"

"If you really wanted to help me, then you'd have killed me already!" The restrained brother hissed with a face full of anger.

Not wanting to look him in the eye, Jack altered his gaze downwards towards the floor. There was no way he could bring himself to do such a thing to his brother, - his own blood, - no matter what the circumstances were. That was why he'd refused before when John had suggested it, using the bloodshed from his attack on the city as an excuse. A weakness with himself he felt. There could quite possibly come a time that he'd have to end the life of someone he loved for the safety of others, but would he have the strength to do it? If Gray somehow managed to attempt another assault, would he take him out before he claimed any lives himself? He'd have to if there was no other choice.

Clearing his thoughts, the captain inhaled deeply. "You're the only one who can help me." He looked back at his brother. "Reavers have come through the Rift …"

"Reavers?"

"Yes, and they're attacking the locals. Lives are at stake and have already been lost." Jack watched the anger drain from his brother's face at being told of the serious threat that he had experienced first hand. "You're the only one who has survived imprisonment by them and witnessed their behavioural patterns up close. Any information that you can tell me to help save innocent lives I would be forever grateful for."

There was a slight pause as Gray thought things over before speaking. "Reavers, they attack in small groups. Capture. Torture. Rape. Kill. Skin. Cannibalise. And not always in that order …"

"Tell us something we don't know." Mal murmured from above.

"You don't want my help; that's fine with me!" The restrained man snapped, craning his neck to see those gathered just out of his sight on the platform above. He glared at the man in the browncoat before sneering at Jack. "Look's like you more than managed to replenish your team."

"They're not my team. I don't recruit jerks like him."

"Who you calling a jerk, you coc oen?!"

There was a feeling of smug satisfaction inside Jack for having riled the other captain in a moment when he'd least expect it, but that feeling swiftly past due to his eagerness for his brother to continue with further details that, - if he was honest with himself, - he hadn't expected to get so easily. "What else can you tell us?"

Another pause of silence as Gray relished the beseeching gaze he received. He'd originally chosen to share his knowledge to prevent the innocent people from facing the same kind of torturous fate that he had endured. Nobody deserved to be attacked by such horrible creatures and live out the rest of their life suffering in the same and/or similar ways that he had. But after seeing the pleading look in his brother's eye, he was now willing to go against that, as failure to save those people would eat at Jack's conscience and wound him deeply. "No."

"No, you can't tell us?" Ianto asked slowly after several seconds of there being no response from Jack who looked like he was despairingly biting his inner lip with frustration. "Or no, you won't tell us?"

"Ask Jack, he knows the answer."

The captain clenched his fist in anger as he tried to keep his colliding emotions under control. "Look, whatever issues there are between us, don't take them out on the people of this planet. If the Reavers aren't stopped soon then there's no hope for Earth." He tried to coax his brother once more. "You've spend most of your life in their captivity; witnessing their behaviour, hunting routines…. Please Gray, brother, help me."

"No."

A loud ferocious sound of heavily struck steal boomed through the Hub as Jack snapped and punched the table to the side of Gray's head. The noise made everyone bar the captain jump, and echoed softly behind the animalist type sound that left the restrained man's curved and twisted lips. It was a sound could have quite easily been mistaken for laughter had it been human.

Inara reached out and gripped tightly at Mal's arm as she fought to steady herself from the unexpected shock of hearing the Reaver-like noise. Both of them turning sharply to see Jayne cowering and whimpering behind where they stood as Kaylee tried to comfort the man who had just had a traumatic memory induced on him.

Mal turned back around and stared down at the heartless and uncooperative defrosted man. "Ni bu shi ren!" He hissed disdainfully.

Ignoring whatever it was that had been spoken by the other captain and not questioning the growl that had been made, Jack tried to make himself seem more intimidating as he continued in his attempt to gain his brother's cooperation. "This is your last chance to willingly help me. If you refuse to do so then I'll be forced to take more drastic measures."

"Bring it on!" Gray sneered as he struggled against his restraints to lift himself up and move his face closer up to the one hovering over him. "I've lived through far worse things than you would even dare consider doing to me, so you won't _ever_ be able to force me to talk."

Two pair of angry nostrils flared at each other in a stare-out of wills between the two brothers.

"Oh yeah?" Jack smirked. "We'll soon see about that." He pushed himself back from the restraining table. The fist that he had slammed down a moment earlier was now bruising and swelling which was clearly visible around his knuckle area.

"Shall I retrieve the chair?" Ianto asked. They'd be able to extract the information they wanted that way if they were lucky enough to force Gray's tongue. But if he'd lived through more vigorous processes like he'd boasted, then it could be likely that his head would explode first during the interrogation as he resisted their efforts.

"No." Jack breathed out regretfully. "That'll take too long to set up. We've used enough time as it is." He spun around to face the girl being held back by Gwen. "River!"

"Sir?"

"Would you be able to go deeper into his mind?"

"Cai bushi." The young doctor disagreed shaking his head. "She's not to be used like some kind of tool."

"I want to help." The teenager insisted before Jack had chance to argue himself.

"You heard your brother!" Mal snapped. "No."

"But if something isn't done soon then more people are going to die." River argued with her captain. "Do you want to be the one responsible for their unnecessary deaths?"

Mal shifted uncomfortably. Of course he didn't, but he also didn't want his _'Little Albatross'_ put a risk either. "It's your brother's decision, not mine."

She rounded on her brother who looked very much like taking a swing at Mal for passing the buck, regarding the dying civilians, to him. "Please Simon, let me find out the information that they need to combat the Reavers. I promise to stop once that has been achieved."

"Okay." He agreed to his sister's request of wanting to help. "Remember, I'm right here if you need me."

The girl smiled at her brother before turning back to face Jack and the restrained man lying on the table. She could see the loathing glare aiming straight for her as Gray tried his hardest to keep his mind clear as River slowly delved into it.

_Despite the resistance made, it didn't take her long to pass by recent events from the young man's life, - which her curiosity made her want to uncover further, but she had promised just to seek out the information on the Reavers, - until she came to a point were a barely conscious and shackled Gray was alone in the darkness within his mind._

"_Stop!" The echoing voice of the young man's consciousness warned her and then faintly asked, "Do you seriously want to go further?"_

_River knew she had to keep going. "Yes." No sooner had she spoken, the barely conscious man stirred with Reaver-like laugher. Unable to keep control of her presence inside his mind, she found herself sucked into his body as she now became him. _

_They were no longer alone within the darkness of his mind, but instead surrounded by hundreds of dying and deceased victims of the Reavers who roamed amongst them, causing more carnage at the sight of anything that dared to breathe. S/he gasped in fear, drawing attention towards them as several Reavers bounded over and …_

"Aaaaaarrrrrggghhhhhhh!!" She let out the most terrifying scream that any of them had ever heard.

"River!" Simon exclaimed in fright as he tried to console her.

Seeing that he needed help with the thrashing teenager, Gwen was quick to help him.

"Get them away from me! Get them away from me!" River cried over and over again as her arms flailed.

Horrified by the reaction he saw Jack turned on Gray. "What did you do to her?!"

"Exactly what you wanted, I let her into my mind." He sneered back scornfully. "That is what you wanted, right?"

The captain resisted the urge to throttle his brother and instead focused his attention back to the screaming girl. Whatever it was that Gray had done, it was his fault that she was like that as he'd asked for her help, and felt guilty for having done so. "Get her out of here and calm her down as best as you can." He instructed her brother.

Together Gwen and Simon struggled to carry River up the stairwell and were accompanied by Zoë and Jayne for the last several steps as they reached down to help them.

"Let me at him!" Mal roared trying to get past the crowd and down into the cove to give the restrained man a good beating for having caused so much distress to the teenage member of his crew.

"No." Gwen blocked his way though she so wished that she too could punish Gray for whatever he'd done. "Jack's got things under control …"

"Gou pi!!"

"Captain!" Kaylee scowled disapprovingly at his use of language towards the woman beside her as she too helped to hold Mal back. She glanced over her shoulder to see Simon, Zoë and Jayne take River to the far end of the underground base.

"Go." Gwen instructed the younger woman who looked like she longed to join the group that had left.

"We'll take care of Mal." Inara assured. She still had hold of his arms, now in a tight grip as she held him back.

Without a word, Kaylee nodded in agreement and raced after her boyfriend and the others, leaving the two dark-haired women and her captain behind on the viewing platform. Another Reaver-like chortle drew there attention back down into the cove where Jack was menacingly arched over the restrained man once more.

"If you've done anything to scar that girl I'll …"

"You'll what?" Gray challenged his brother. "Don't forget who it was that sent her into my mind. The blame solely lies with you." He felt satisfaction at the pause that followed as Jack was unable to deny the truth of the matter.

"It's okay Jack." Ianto assured as he watched the older man falter. "We've got more than enough Retcon at our disposal. She'll be fine."

The captain remained silent with his agreement. Undoing whatever harm had been done to the teenager was about the only thing within their power right now. As hopeless as it seemed, the Reavers still had to be stopped, and seeing that trying to get his brother to cooperate this way wasn't yielding any results, he was ready to call quits.

"Okay, I'm done." Jack pushed himself up from the restraining table. He glared at Gray. "I'll beat them without your help."

"No you won't." His head rolled from one side to the other and his lips were still curved at their corners. "Thousands upon thousands of people are going to die because of your inadequacy to man that Rift. Their deaths are due to you Jack. How are you going to cope with that much blood on your hands?"

Jack didn't answer. He just calmly walked away and began to ascend the stairs.

"Hey!" Gray shouted. His jaw began to drop its twisted curve. He'd been expecting some kind of despaired reaction to his taunts but received none. Still, he had one more that was likely to grant him his goal. "No matter what you do, you won't save them. You failed to save me, so what hope do you have of saving an entire planet?"

The captain stopped in his step. His brother was right. It hurt so much just to admit it to himself and he couldn't ever remember a time when it felt like all hope had abandoned him. Even in the year that never was and being buried alive he'd had some hope to cling to, yet now he had none. But he had to try; saving some lives would be better than no lives. He continued with his steady pace to leave the medical bay.

Gwen watched from were she stood, her heart breaking at the thought that her captain was close to giving up from the things that his corrupt brother had said and done. She offered a smile when her eyes finally met his as he raised his head from its drooping position, but didn't see one displayed back to her. "Jack?" She asked with concern and reached out to touch him only to find his hand raise to block her from doing so.

"Don't." He told her and watched as she sorrowfully bit her lower lip. His face remained blank as he gazed into the tearful forming eyes and knew she'd been hurt from him rejecting her help. "I need a moment to myself." He added as a conclusion when he felt the other two pairs of eyes staring at him from over Gwen's shoulder, and then left to make his way up into the boardroom.

"You know I'm right, don't you Jack!" Gray yelled as he craned his head from where he still lay restrained on the table. "This world and its people, they're all completely and totally fu … Ouch!!" His eyes flashed dangerously at the man who had sharply injected the syringe into his arm.

"I'm sorry, did that hurt?" Ianto spoke sarcastically as he finished squeezing the sedative into the restrained man's bloodstream. He took pleasure in the discomfort he had just caused, and if Gray hadn't have been Jack's brother then he would have probably done a lot more. No-one got away with causing his lover emotional distress whilst he was around.

The empty syringe was discarded into the waste bin, and ignoring the snarls of abuse from the man who would soon be unconscious, the Welshman went up the stairs to follow after the captain.

"Wait!" Gwen called when she saw her colleague heading up a level, no doubt to enter the boardroom. "Jack said …"

"I _know_ what he said." Ianto shot back and continued on his way.

* * *

The boardroom door was half slammed behind him as Jack entered. He made his way over to the table edge where he just stood with his arms outstretched downwards to support his weight. His breaths were coming slow and deep as he struggled to keep his emotions under control from having Gray play the guilt trip card on him.

The Reavers presence was a serious situation which required all the help he could get and he had a hunch that the things his brother knew would provide them with the key that they'd need for a successful outcome. But because of their past that information was denied from him, and now the Earth's people were about to undergo the exact same fate which he knew he'd have no way of saving them either.

Unable to control the multiple urges colliding inside, Jack angrily swung out an arm that struck the coffee pot in front of him. The force of the strike sent it rocketing down the table, smashing into numerous plates and food before it finally came to a stop on the lip of the table's far end where the dark coloured liquid plip-plopped down to form a puddle on the floor.

His face scrunched up tightly and upper body hung forward in defeat over the table where he stood. What would it take for his brother to realise that what had happened to them as kids was the one thing he regretted to its extreme each and every day of his life? The sooner he had Gray's cooperation, the sooner he'd be able to save the people he cared for and all the other members of the human race he had dedicated his life to protecting from the Rift's continuous debris.

As he remained there in silence, listening to the plip-plopping of the falling coffee, a tear slowly oozed its way from the dispirited captain's creased eyelids and travelled along the bridge of his nose before landing on the surface of the table. The noise it made was practically inaudible in comparison amongst the plip-plop, plip-plop coming from the other side of the room.

Several plip-plops later and silence filled the boardroom only to be broken a moment later. "Tut-tut, what would you do without me?"

"Ianto?!" He gasped and looked up with raw eyes to see the Welshman clearing up the mess that had been caused from the coffee pot. "I didn't hear you come in."

"That's because I'm in stealth mode." He replied whilst mopping up the puddle on the floor before returning to the table top to gather up the scattered garibaldies. A playful smirk was sent his lover's way as he added, "You're not the only one who can carry out pre-emptive attacks now you know."

Despite the morbid feelings he felt, Jack couldn't help but smirk back. He'd hold him to that some time. _If _there was time left before the Reavers … He pushed the thought of losing Ianto as far away as possible from his mind, and quickly dried his eyes using his hands.

The silence returned as the Welshman tenderly watched the captain regain his composure. "Are things really that bad?" He asked once Jack seemed more stable.

"Oh yeah." Jack breathed out with a hint of desolation. "You heard what Gray said. Things really _are_ that bad."

_I was afraid of that. _Ianto kept the dry remark to himself and continued to fumble with the biscuits in his hands. He knew it wouldn't make the situation any better, - perhaps even worse? - but he had to get his fear out in the open before it ate away at him. "These creatures, what if we come up against them and they capture …"

"Then I'll shoot you!"

The Welshman froze in shock amazement from the certainty of the answer provided before he'd even had chance to finish the question.

"It'll be clean, swift and as painless as death comes." Jack went on looking his lover directly in the eyes and again forcing back the thought of losing him so soon. "Don't worry Ianto, if those monsters ever get their paws on you, I'll see to it that you're dead before they have a chance to put you though their horrid torments."

Touched by the concern and extreme lengths that would be gone to for him, a smile wobbled on Ianto's lips. "Thank you, but I wasn't thinking of me just then." Placing down the remaining crumbs in his hands, he stepped closer to the man he loved. "You can't die Jack, not for keeps anyway. What if they get you? An eternity of suffering from them, them, them…" He started to stammer as he lost control of his wavering lips and fought back the sorrow he felt.

"Then I would say I'd finally gotten my comeuppances." Although the captain's heart pounded with fear at the thought of the outcome, his voice portrayed none of it.

"You're not a bad man." The Welshman stated with a teary voice as he failed to hold his emotions back. "Don't let Gray succeed in making you believe that you are."

Jack couldn't bear to look at his lover any longer. If he did, then he'd only start crying himself. Looking down at the floor to his right he recalled what Gwen had said to him earlier and smiled fondly. "You know, you're the second person to tell me that today."

"Huh?"

"Gwen commented also that exact same thing earlier in regards to Mal."

"Oh." Ianto forced a smile. "Well if the two of us say so, then it must be true." He saw that the courageousness had just about returned to the other man's face and fought to apply some to his own.

"Perhaps." Jack smirked and snuck a glance to see that the threat of tears had past in his lover's eyes though the plea for comfort was still there. "Cwtch?"

The Welshman nodded and both of them moved closer to wrap their arms around each other in a tight embrace.

* * *

Gwen stood looking up, squinting, and could just about make out the two men inside the boardroom, stood far apart as they conversed with each other.

"I wonder what they're saying?" Inara pondered out aloud as she stood beside the other woman.

"Who cares?" Mal snorted as he glanced back down into the medical bay and watched the final moments of consciousness slip from the restrained man. He had thought about sneaking down to Gray and delivering a beating as revenge for whatever he had done to River, - who was still yelling and whimpering across the other side of the Hub, - as there'd be no-one to stop him at that moment in time, but decided against it. Where was the fun in fighting a defenceless, not to mention unconscious, opponent? He much preferred it when the opposition fought back.

"I do." Gwen replied. "That's my boss and my friend up there."

"Boss?!" Mal exclaimed over dramatically. He still didn't know what it was that the other man did to have two such devoted followers. "Just what exactly is he the boss of? What is it that the three of you do down here, in this base full of outdated so-called 'futuristic' technology, with monsters in the basement and de-frosted hun-dan? Nobody's giving any information to me and my crew, and I won't stand for it much longer!"

"We're Torchwood. Separate from the government, outside the police, and beyond the United Nations" The Welshwoman breathed tiredly as she recited the same standard explanation which was given to anyone who asked. "We monitor the Rift's activity and deal with anything and everything that happens to slip through. More often than not, it's alien. And hostile. But no matter how life threatening it may be, we're always on the ball to protect the planet from harm."

Gwen frowned as she stared up to see the two men in the boardroom embrace each other. "Well, mostly." She added as an afterthought as she knew that the whole thing had startled her captain more than he was willing to let on, and they weren't as prepared as she'd just boasted about. "No one asked him to, no one pays him, - the rest of us get paid mind, - but Jack's dedicated his life to the job."

"Seems like he really is a changed man from the one you knew." Inara glanced at Mal who looked sceptical. "Risking his life to defend others."

Mal pondered in his thoughts as he looked up at the boardroom and then quickly turned away after catching sight of the men now kissing. Maybe his friend was right and the conman he'd known was no more? Still conman or not, Jack was definitely an idiot. Who else would be foolish enough to try and take on a ship full of Reavers? The corners of his mouth curved into a smirk as he realised that they had something in common after all.


End file.
